Godsend book 3: The Hourglass of Ages
by alchemicmonkey
Summary: "If you don't go, you'll cease to exist..." "I'll return, I promise. I'll be back before you die." A soul hanging in the balance between life and death is the most fragile of all. Everything they know and love will be put to the test... for the last time.
1. The Recurring Dream

_**1: The Recurring Dream**_

_Pain._

_All he felt at the moment was searing, agonizing pain._

_Rain fell in icy sheets, turning the grassy ground surrounding him into a mushy, mud-like substance somewhere between a solid and a liquid. It penetrated his clothing and stung his skin where the icy droplets struck. Water ran into his eyes and matted his hair to his skin, obstructing his view. Through slits in his bangs he could see a forest, soaked by the rainfall. Somewhere in the distance, thunder ripped through the sky, followed by a brilliant and blinding flash of lightning. For one brief moment his surroundings were illuminated._

_In the foliage before his he saw the figure of a girl. She had long brown hair that hung in wet clumps, lifted ever so slightly by the cold wind blowing steadily. The long sword held in her right hand glinted dangerously in the flash of light. He couldn't see her face, but felt that he knew her from somewhere. Where had he seen her? How did he know her?_

_He looked down at his hands, and at the small object clasped between them. Ever so slowly, they were coming back into view. Why was he fading away like mist on a hot day? What was causing that?_

_He knew what the answers were, he just couldn't say them. Something large shifted its weight next to him. He saw the glint of metal and knew instantly who was beside him. The girl stepped forward, aiming her sword at them._

_"Who are you?" she demanded. "What are you doing with my little brother? Are you the reason he's been missing for a year?"_

_He couldn't speak. His throat tightened up and he couldn't get the words out as they formed in his head. His hand tightened on the object in his hand, the metal rings warm against his skin. He could hear, just barely, the sound of falling sand coming to a halt. He glanced down to see an elaborate hourglass seeming to glow in the light from another flash of lightning, the pale purple sand settling in the bottom of the shaped glass container._

_He swallowed hard and finally started to speak._

_"I..."_

Alphonse sighed heavily and opened his eyes. He rubbed an arm across his face and squinted his eyes against the bright sunlight streaming through the curtains covering the window next to the bed. He heard sounds coming from the kitchen of the apartment, and a glance at the clock on the wall told him it was nearly eight. It wasn't surprising that he had slept later than usual, since he normally woke up around six. It had been a very long day at work. A year and a half had passed since the inter-dimensional war (known to many as The War of Deception), but there was still a lot of cleaning up to do. He must've been very tired, because he still wore his military uniform. He peeled off his blue jacket and tossed it aside. The job he had as a state alchemist might not be the most exciting nowadays, but the pay was good, so he put up with it when it gave him boring assignments. He was glad he had the day off.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he hauled himself out of bed and trudged to the kitchen, where the rest of his family was.

"Morning, Dad," Ai greeted him, looking up from the spoonful of food she was trying to feed Santi. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well enough, I suppose," he replied, ruffling her curled hair, the same shade of brown as her mother's (now that the red color had been removed) sort of 'brownie crust in the afternoon sunlight' as he had once been told. Santi cooed and clapped her hands together happily. "She's looking better."

"Yeah, especially after that time she got sick. She's growing up pretty quickly," Ai nodded, her curls bouncing from the motion.

"Where's number three?" he asked, taking an empty seat at the table.

"Mom's giving her a bath," Ai replied, her brow wrinkling as she returned to the task at hand. "This feels so strange. I'm so used to her being a teenager, and now I have to feed her like she's a baby."

"Well, she is a baby. It's only natural. Morning sweetie," Aislinn said, entering the room and swiftly kissing Alphonse. "Besides, we couldn't just leave her there in that ruined world."

"I give up," Ai grumbled, slouching in her chair. "She just won't eat."

"I'll feed her later. You better get going or you'll be late for school," Aislinn smiled.

"Fine..." she huffed, scooting off the chair and taking her messenger bag with her. "I'll see you later, then."

"Your brother called this morning," Aislinn said, handing the baby in her arms to Alphonse.

"What'd he say, and why didn't you wake me up?" he asked.

"You were out cold. Ai tried for fifteen minutes but nothing could rouse you. He said that she had another memory lapse," she replied, handing him a cup of coffee fixed to his liking and taking the baby back.

"That's the third time this month. They're getting closer together," he mused into the mug as steam billowed into his face.

"But they don't last very long, which is a good thing. Still, I'm kinda surprised she's lasted this long. When I was told that the illness was fatal, I honestly didn't expect her to last a year," Aislinn mumbled. "But Christin's tough and I know she won't go out without a fight."

"One of her many good points," he agreed. "She's come a long way since I first met her."

"Really? What was she like?" Aislinn inquired eagerly, joining him at the table. She had met her twin sister (whom she had believed to be dead for most of her life) for the first time a little over ten years ago and was eager to learn something new abut her.

"Kinda snobby and put off... maybe even bitchy? She was nice to me, but I was nice to her to begin with so what goes around comes around. She hardly ever talked and cut herself quite a bit. She had this unapproachable aura sort of thing... like you couldn't get close to her or get to know her," he replied, leaning his face against his hand.

"But you did," she pointed out.

"I helped a little bit. It was mostly Brother's doing, though. They used to fight a lot, over the stupidest things, but it was during those fights you could see who she really was. And Brother always had a grin on his face after they had separated after a fight, like he was trying not to laugh or something," he chuckled. "It was entertaining to watch them... still is, actually... because they're practically mirror images of one another as far as their personalities go."

"I'm going to put Mirian down for her nap," she stated. "Can you take care of Santi while I do that?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, excuse me, Mr. Soulbound Alchemist," she sneered playfully.

"Fullmetal and Soulbound... they really know how to pick intimidating names, don't they?" he chuckled dryly.

"I thought Ed was retired," she said from down the hall.

"He is, but he's subject to recall if the need arises. Like if another war breaks out, he'll have to be reinstated and assume his title once again," he replied.

"Don't jinx us. I've had enough fighting for one lifetime," she grumbled, dragging a hand through her hair.

"You're not the only one," he chuckled dryly, faintly recalling all the major events of his recent life. It didn't amount to much, really, just a series of wars and battles brought about because people had a strange obsession with revenge.

"Something the matter?" she asked gently.

"I had the dream again," he finally replied, looking at the floor though he had no reason to.

"Again? That makes it every night for a month now. I seriously think it means something," Aislinn huffed.

"That's what I'm starting to think. It's the same thing, over and over again. I'm sitting there, in a forest, and it's raining. There's a girl standing in front of me, asking who I am. She looks like you... no, she is you, and at the same time she isn't. She's like a familiar stranger," he replied.

"You've said that already. Every time you tell me what's happening, mind you - it's the same thing, you mention this 'familiar stranger' person. Maybe I'm not the best person to ask about this," she mused, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"You think I should call?" he asked warily.

"I think you better. Apparently, Ed's having the same dream."

* * *

"Hello?" Edward asked, picking up the receiver.

"Hey, is Christin there?" Alphonse's voice asked.

"No, she and Toby took the twins over to Winry's a few minutes ago. Something about a checkup," he replied, holding the receiver against his head with his shoulder.

"You weren't paying attention when she told you," Alphonse sneered.

"It was early. I had just woken up and was still half-asleep," Edward replied tartly. He bent down on his knees and fixed the collar of the golden retriever.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" Alphonse asked.

"Not sure. Don't you have the number for her cell phone?" Edward replied, ruffling the dog's fur affectionately. "Well, it's her day off, so she shouldn't be too long. Do you want me to tell her you called?"

"No... I'll try again later," Alphonse mumbled.

"Alright, spill. What's going on?" the blond demanded.

"The dream, again."

"Oh, you too, eh? Dreams are just a figment of our imaginations," Edward chuckled.

"Science and logic can't explain everything, Brother. This is bigger than something I've imagined, and I know damn well you feel the same way even if you won't admit it," Alphonse retorted.

"I can't get anything past you. You're always so damn perceptive... but you're one of a few people who know my heart," Edward smiled.

"Ugh, you've been reading girl's comics again," Alphonse groaned. "You've gotten so sentimental since we left Germany. Really, it isn't like you."

"I just wasn't able to express my romantic side until she showed up and, on a more personal note, an incestuous relationship with one's brother isn't something people generally approve of. You're a wonderful person, Al, but I just don't love you that way."

"Give me that," Edward snapped.

"No, you said he wanted to talk to me!" Christin snickered.

"I thought that might be you," Alphonse said, rolling his eyes. "Your impersonation needs a little work."

"Really? Man and I finally thought I had it down," she sighed.

"Your voice is too feminine to mimic mine," Edward sneered.

"Buzz off, buster. Go play with the dog or something," she hissed. "So, what'd you want to talk about, bro?"

"Aislinn said you'd know more about the recurring dream than we do," Alphonse replied. "After all, _magic_ is your specialty and alchemy isn't doing a very good job of explaining it."

"When the hell did it become magic?" she asked, referring to the strange power she had ever since she arrived in that alternate dimension all those years ago.

"Back in Xenotime, you called it 'magicy magical magic', remember?" Edward said from down the hall. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him.

"I've always thought of you as a 'magic' sort of person, not an 'alchemy' sort. It's just the way you appear to me... and to others, I'm sure," Alphonse chuckled.

"Magic, huh?" she repeated. "I suppose that makes a bit of sense. I'll see what I can do and call you back when I reach some sort of conclusion, okay?"

"Thanks," he sighed in relief and hung up.

"Well, that wasn't the weirdest phone call I've had," she mumbled. "So both you and Al are having similar dreams..."

"Didn't we say it was the same dream?" Edward asked.

"Well, yes, sort of. It's the same situation, but you're seeing it from your perspective, not Al's and vice versa. Every night for a solid month now, and at least a year of scattered incidents. I thought it was just some weird emergence of a repressed childhood memory... maybe what you really think of your training on Yock Island?" she mumbled, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"There weren't any other people on the island when we were there, and definitely not any girls that look like you and your sister. Not even when we went back..." he replied.

"I said what you really think, not what really happened," she rolled her eyes. "Mmm... maybe it's some weird fantasy you've kept secret from me?"

"As if!" he snorted.

"Hey, I'm just trying to cover all the possible possibilities. I wonder what else it could be... maybe a vision from a past life? I know you think that stuff is just a bunch of BS but it has to be considered. Oh! Maybe it was your identical's memory! Remember, when you were sent through the Gate and landed in London in the other Ed's body? Maybe you took one of his memories or dreams or fantasies or something when you came back," she said, clapping her hands together.

"What is it with you and fantasies?" he asked dryly.

"I'm magical, now, so... if the shoe fits, when in Rome, all that jazz," she shrugged. "Funny, isn't it? It takes ten years to give a name to my power and we call it magic."

"Mama, tie my hair," a little girl's voice pleaded.

"Alright, braids or pigtails?" she smiled, picking up the child and setting her on the table. "And what's wrong with the way it's tied now?" she asked, removing the ribbons on the end of the girl's blond braids.

"Daddy does it not good. I want the frimp braids," she replied. "The pretty ones up here," she patted the top of her head.

"Oh, French braids. Sure, Dawn," Christin smiled.

"We're back!" Tobias announced.

"We noticed," Edward replied.

"Daddy, Daddy, make me something!" a second voice exclaimed eagerly. A blond boy burst into the room and launched himself at his father. Tobias entered shortly after, carrying their fat orange cat.

"I tried to stop him, honest, but once Dusk found that rock he wouldn't let it go," Tobias shrugged.

"Make me something!" Dusk pleaded.

"Alright, alright, calm down before you explode," Edward chuckled, taking the large rock the little boy held out.

"I wonder what it means..." Christin muttered to herself as she tied a ribbon around one of Dawn's braids.

"Mama?" the girl asked.

"What?"

"You done yet?" she huffed impatiently.

"Almost, stay still or it'll be all messy. I swear, you're almost as impatient as your father," Christin grumbled.

"I'm impatient?" Edward asked.

"You hadn't noticed?" his wife asked playfully.

"And you say she's oblivious to the world," Tobias sassed.

"Alright, you're done Jumpy. Go play or something," Christin said, helping Dawn off the table. "Honestly, I don't know what to make of it."

"Yeah, me neither. They have my killer good looks and your personality," Edward sighed.

"I meant the dream, dumbass, not the kids," she rolled her eyes.

"Mother, please watch your language. I don't want my almost-two-year-old siblings spouting curse words the way you do," Tobias said, sticking his head back in the room. "I'm gonna take Hermes for a walk."

"Have fun," Christin waved. "Now, back to the matter at hand. I've been having a recurring dream of my own, but it's kind of different. There's this waterfall... and I'm sitting at the edge. I look into the water and see my reflection, only I have cat ears and a tail. That's where it ends."

"How does that help me and Al?" Edward asked.

"You said there's a girl in your dream with cat ears and a tail, right? Maybe it's related to my dream. This is awfully strange, now that I think about it. I'm not sure if... well, maybe not... I'll think about it some more and see what I can come up with. I'll talk to Aislinn as well, see if she's had one. Ugh, all this thinking is making my head spin a bit," she mused, pressing a hand to her forehead.

"Well, that doesn't surprise me anymore. I'm used to all your quirks and flaws by now. I'd have to be, actually. You're always hanging around me like a virus so I've developed an immunity," he chuckled.

"A virus, really? That's what you compare me to?" she demanded, trying to hide a smirk.

"Sort of. It's more along the lines of..." he trailed off and looked at the floor.

She walked up to him and lifted his face, making him look at her. She hated seeing him look so sad and... heartbroken.

"It's more along the lines of my illness. It's alright, you can say it," she finished for him.

"I... I can't say it. I don't even like thinking about it. It's too sad," he whispered. "It's not fair. Why do you have to die? You haven't done anything wrong... so why should you have to die?" he asked, pulling her into a hug and hiding his face in her hair.

"Oh, Edward, please don't ask me that. You know as well as I do that I've escaped death too often. Sooner or later I would've died anyway, we all will one day, so please... don't ask me that," she blubbered, hugging him back.

"Excuse me! Is the Fullmetal Alchemist home?" a child's voice rang sharply.

"Alright, compose yourself, girl," Christin muttered to herself, slapping her cheeks.

"What the... who're you?" Edward asked, peering down at the small, raven-haired boy standing at the front door.

"My name is Hao! I need your help!" the boy announced, bowing deeply.

The two shared a confused look before returning their attention to the child. What was this child doing here, and why did he request the help of the Fullmetal Alchemist? But those questions were better to be asked of the child.

"I suppose we can see what's up," Edward sighed.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 12-21-10: guess who's back, back again. AM's back, tell your friends. That's right, book 3 is finally underway! I've wanted to write this book... ever since I got the idea for it. And I thought of a good plot-thing to keep in touch with characters besides the Elric brothers. Thank you, Ceres! But the first few chapters are always the hardest, because they set the pace for the whole story and introduce you to what's going on. I hope I wrote well..._

_I'll try to keep these things under four paragraphs (or half a page, at least) for this book, because they've been pretty long before. I was originally planning to make one big author's note at the end (as a separate chapter like in a series I've been reading) but that would've been to difficult for me. I need to talk to you all! Just think of these like the sidebars you see in shojo manga (I don't know how many of you read those, but I do, so...)_

_No particular theme song for this chapter, but maybe something kinda uppity? Like... an instrumental piece? Think kind of the BGM music for anime and video games smushed together or something like that... I think... someone compose an original soundtrack for me!_

_Ah, the twins... I better talk about them before I forget. When I first created my OC for FMA (Vida Voce, the Voice Alchemist) she and Ed had twins, a boy named Dusk and a girl named Dawn. I loved them so much that I put them in here. Originally they were fraternal twins, but I made them dentical just for the hell of it. Dusk is younger than Dawn, but don't ask me by how much cuz I didn't bother working out that detail. Let's just say two and a half minutes, okay? Happy holidays everyone!_

_Until chapter 2..._


	2. What Hao Knows

_2: What Hao Knows_

"A serial killer?" Edward repeated, dumbfounded.

"What does that have to do with Ed?" Christin asked.

"I've heard that you have experience with serial killers. Over ten years ago, there was a murderer who killed state alchemists by exploding their brains," Hao replied over the rim of his cup of tea.

"Scar..." Edward mumbled, his brow wrinkling at the memory.

"There was another one that was pretty famous as well. I'm sure you know Barry the Chopper," Hao smiled eerily.

Edward knew him, very well. He had almost been killed by Barry. That... was probably the first time he really feared for his life... the first time someone wanted to kill him. He repressed a shudder and forced himself to look at the child.

"Wait, wait, wait. Before we get into anything, I want an introduction. I should've asked this before letting you inside, but better late than never," Christin huffed.

"I am Hao Jing, fifth son of a fifth son and a child of the court in Xing. I ran away because of a scandal and have been taking refuge in Dublith for the past year. I stayed with a man by the name of Curtis for a while, before something got in the way and made me leave," Hao replied, getting down on one knee and bowing.

"Curtis?" Christin repeated.

"Probably Sig, if he knows about me and where we live," Edward whispered.

"And you are Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist and Hero of the People, and Christin Elric, formerly Christin Fallbrook-Mustang, Goddess of the Music Revolution and Captain of the Amestrian Air Fleet," Hao grinned.

"I've never heard that title before," she replied slightly stiffly.

"You haven't? But you're most known for bringing a new kind of music to us all, the Goddess of Music, the Queen of Rock and Roll!" Hao insisted.

"Okay, that's enough!" Christin cut in, holding up a hand. "I'm sick of people glorifying me."

"Look kid, I don't know what you've heard, but number one, I'm retired, okay? And number two, even if I wasn't retired, I can't stop a serial killer," Edward laughed.

"The killer's main target is you, Fullmetal," Hao replied solemnly. "He said that if I didn't deliver that message, he'd begin slaughtering people by the truckload instead of individual targets."

"Dude, how old are you?" Christin demanded.

"I'm eleven, why?" Hao replied.

"I'm just curious," she said.

"Curiosity killed the cat," he retorted.

"Good thing we have nine lives," she hissed.

"Regardless of the lifespan of a feline..." Edward cut in, holding up a hand. "Why am I the main target? What have I done?"

"Oh, lots of things... like Liore... the invasion of that psycho woman from beyond the Gate... and several other incidents. But what he told me he's after you for is the death of his older brother," Hao smirked.

"Older brother?" the pair repeated.

"I've done my part of the bargain, now he must uphold his. In exchange for warning you, I've been allowed to live," Hao smiled, standing up and bowing once again.

"Where will you go?" Christin asked.

"Wherever the wind takes me, I suppose. I'm just a drifter now," Hao shrugged. "I can't return to Dublith, because he is there, nor can I return to Xing because of the scandal... something bothers you two?"

"What makes you say that?" Edward asked.

"A dark energy clings to you two. It is strongest around Fullmetal, though, so I thought maybe I could help somehow," Hao replied. "Oh wow! Where did you find this?" he exclaimed, dashing over to the table beside the window and picking up the hourglass resting there.

"Hey, ADD, knock it off!" Christin snapped. "That thing isn't a toy so you better put it down."

"You're Elrin, aren't you?" Hao inquired, turning to Christin.

"What the... Elrin? Stop jumping from subject to subject!" she hissed.

"You do know what this is, don't you? It's the legendary Hourglass of Ages created by the great cat spirit Elrin! Whoever possesses it possesses the power to control time as they see fit, able to travel forwards or backwards as they please. However did you come to possess it? It's been lost to time. The last anyone ever saw of it was King Edward's last battle, where a supposed impostor stole it and vanished into thin air!" Hao squealed.

"More about that damn king again?" Edward grumbled.

"Hey, you should be proud that you have the same name as one of Amestria's greatest rulers," Hao pouted. "And his sister, Ethelfleda... oh, she was a vision to behold, so the stories say. The pair were almost invincible together! Of course, some people say they were secret lovers, but that is most likely a myth."

"Ed... what's happening to you?" Christin asked softly.

"Me? Nothing, I'm..." he replied, looking down at himself like he had just noticed a wound that was bleeding. "...fine..." he finished weakly as he looked at his hands. He could see right through them, as if they were made of glass or transparent plastic. Within moments they were back to normal. He turned them over, wondering what had happened.

"Oh... oh, I'm so sorry. That doesn't look good at all," Hao mused, leaning over to stare at Edward's hands. "How horrible..."

"What the hell do you want, little boy?" the blond snarled, grabbing the child's collar and almost lifting the boy off the ground.

"Sh...Sharzan bade me come here! He said something terrible was happening to you! I had a prophetic dream the night after the killer sent me away!" Hao replied hastily. "He told me that if you don't correct the error playing out in the past, you'll cease to exist!"

Edward's grip on the boy's collar loosened and the child dropped back onto his feet. He did his best to smooth out the wrinkled fabric and tried to hold back a smirk. Edward felt the color drain from his face ever so slightly. He'd cease to exist? Did that mean he would die? That was impossible. People simply didn't stop existing; they had to die or be killed before they stopped existing. People didn't just vanish.

"I know what you're thinking: people don't vanish like mist on a hot day. You might find this hard to believe but... okay, you know how people say they don't want the past to repeat itself? Well, it does. It's not exactly a parallel dimension or world or something... it's more of a 'half' of a dimension. Time travelers can enter this 'half dimension' and alter time as they see fit. Someone has gone back in time and altered something that affects your existence now," Hao explained as if he was discussing something ordinary like the weather.

"I'm getting really tired of people telling us to save the world..." Christin muttered under her breath, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other.

"This isn't about the world. This is a very small, very intimate issue," Hao replied stiffly. "It affects both you and your brother, Fullmetal."

Hao produced a small pouch and dipped his fingers in it, pulling out a pinch of pale pink powder. He tossed it into the air and clapped his hands. Pale pink lightning flashed and the powder solidified into something resembling a thin sheet of glass or ice.

"A special technique I devised. I was trained in purification arts, but I studied alchemy as well. This is a looking-glass," Hao said smugly.

"A mirror?" Edward asked.

"No, not a mirror, a looking glass," Hao said crisply. "A mirror reflects things. A looking glass allows you to see something else. Look carefully, you'll see your brother."

Edward watched the looking glass, not liking the child's eerie knowledge. Alphonse was standing at a sink, leaning heavily over the edge. He ran a hand through his hair, smearing water on it and slicking it back some, though a few stray strands fell over his forehead. He looked down at his arm, which was as transparent as Edward's hand were a moment ago. His other hand touched the transparent limb, passing through it as if it wasn't there. Within second it lost its transparency and became an opaque, solid limb once again. He could see Alphonse's face reflected in the mirror, and saw his mouth moving, but he couldn't hear anything.

"I can only show images. You can't hear anything that the person watched is saying," Hao said, his voice laced with the smallest hint of sadness.

"So... something in the past has been affected, making me disappear now?" Edward asked. Christin stifled a titter. It seemed like he was struggling to make sense of this. She had no problem accepting it, but he was used to using logic and science to explain everything, and his beloved 'equivalent exchange' of course.

"I can't explain it any more clearly," Hao shrugged.

"Are you following this BS? Some brat shows up out of nowhere and tries to feed us this crap and we're supposed to believe it?" Edward hissed to Christin. She looked at him and grinned in response. Of course she followed this; it all made perfect sense to her now that she was 'magic' and anyone with half a brain knew that magic just happened and couldn't really be explained in the scientific depth and detail Edward wanted.

"It's not BS, Edward. Your life is dependent on all this," a familiar voice chided firmly.

"Man, you haven't died yet? You really are a cockroach," Edward griped as Josiah strode into the room.

"Yes, I'm pleased to see you as well, really. You're looking as sharp and witty as ever," Josiah drawled. "Can't you at least act like you're glad to see me?"

"You, explain that," the blond ordered, pointing at the looking glass.

"It looks like a looking glass, made from the powder of crushed lotus flowers. They're really the best substance for looking glasses, the purity of the flower adding to the quality of what's seen. They can be made out of anything, really, but flower powder works the best because it's easy to carry and obtain. Also, the cultural and, some say, religious importance of the flower adds to the quality of the glass. I could teach you how to make one if you want," Josiah grinned.

"I meant what's happening to me and Al, smartass," Edward spat.

"Don't boss me around. I'm older than you," Josiah replied, appearing offended.

"Please, Josie, please tell us what's going on," Christin pleaded, looking at him with eyes brimming with tears.

"See, that's how you ask for help you brat," Josiah sniffed at Edward. The blond rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Thirty-four damn years old and I'm still being called a brat..." he huffed.

"Only because you're acting like one," Josiah sneered.

"Guys, please..." Christin sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. "Can't you get along for ten minutes?"

"What? You mean you..." Edward floundered. "Weren't you near tears a moment ago?"

"Never underestimate a woman, Edward," she smirked.

"Hao is right, you know," Josiah said, pulling a folded-up newspaper out of his back pocket and handing it to Edward. The blond unfolded it and began reading the headline. "The killer is after you because you killed his brother though... that's not entirely true."

"This guy looks kinda familiar," Edward mused, staring intently at the picture featured with the article. Christin leaned over his shoulders and read along with him.

"Son of a bitch..." she swore under her breath. Edward felt the air around him ripple from a sudden flux in her magic. "Ha, he thinks you killed his brother. No wonder he looks familiar..."

"I suspected that you'd figure it out," Josiah nodded knowingly.

"What, what, who is it?" Edward asked, looking from person to person.

"C'mon, Ed, use that brain you're so famous for. Who has been a big thorn in my side ever since I got here? He almost ruined my life and killed my sister. C'mon, guess who it is," Christin said sourly, glaring at him from beneath her bangs. "Take a stab at it, come on! I know you can figure it out."

"You don't mean..." he gasped, eyes widening in shock for a moment or two. "Damn it! Even dead that guy's a pain in the ass!"

"You're telling me," she scoffed angrily. "Listen to this: 'For the unforgivable crime of brutally killing my brother, the illustrious Space-Time Alchemist Robin McLean, I am going to bestow upon the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric the same fate he bestowed upon me: lifelong pain and suffering.' Criminals are always to overdramatic and what's up with everyone so revenge-crazy? Don't they know that revenge isn't something worth fighting for? If you seek revenge, you are only burdened with feelings of guilt after the revenge is gone."

"Is that how you feel?" Edward asked softly.

"Not anymore. I did feel awful for a while after I killed the bastard. I thought 'What if he has a family, as terrifying as that thought is? A wife and kids or siblings? Parents and friends, even? Surely they'd be upset if they knew what happened to him, even angry. Why did I have to have revenge? Why did I have to make all those people suffer?' So I made a resolution of sorts, to never seek revenge again. It was a long time before the guilt was completely eradicated, but I still have the scars it left on my heart," she replied.

"Is that why you spent a week in bed sick?" Edward asked. She smiled a bit and nodded.

"Aw, you two are so cute! It makes me want to puke," Josiah drawled.

"You can kiss my ass, cockroach man," Christin spat.

"People..." Hao huffed, "Can we return to the issue at hand?"

"She's a lost cause, her attention span is less than zero," Edward smirked, patting Christin's head. "Anything you say to her goes in one ear and right out the other."

"There you go again with the intelligence bashing," she muttered.

"Rinchee..." Josiah started. Christin flinched. "There's something... I'd like to do and I need your help, if you don't mind," he finished.

"You need me?" she repeated.

"It's about River," he replied.

A shadow crossed her face as well as Edward's. "You can continue on without me. It seems to concern you anyway," she said stiffly, standing up and motioning for Josiah to follow.

"Who's River?" Hao inquired.

"She's our first daughter," Edward replied in a tone similar to his wife's. "She... she had to be put out of her misery, so to speak."

"I'm so sorry," Hao said, looking at his shoes.

"Ah, don't be. It's in the past and we've moved on," the blond chuckled dryly.

"Right, if you say so. So, I just came to warn you about the killer. You'd want to be on your guard at all times," Hao said grimly.

"How do I know you aren't after my life, if that's the case?" Edward smirked.

Hao's mouth flapped open and closed like he was a fish gasping in the open air. Edward laughed at his reaction, and Hao blushed.

"I'm kidding. She wouldn't have let you in if you were after me."

"She knows that?" Hao asked.

"Yeah, she knows a lot of things. It's kind of creepy sometimes. I don't know if it's magic or alchemy or just her intuition, but she understands people, sometimes better than the people themselves," Edward chattered thoughtfully.

"You love her, don't you?" Hao asked bluntly.

"Well, yeah, I wouldn't have married her if I didn't, though I really hate when people ask that," Edward mumbled. "So what will you do now that you've delivered your message?"

"Um... travel some more? I really don't know," he replied, looking at the floor again.

"If you need to, I can ask a friend to let you stay with her until you figure things out. Unless you want to stay here and baby-sit," the blond offered.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here. My father, before sending me away because of the scandal, said that, if I needed to, to come to you. He said that you, out of all other people, would be able to care for me," Hao said, getting down on one knee and bowing yet again.

"Your father?" Edward asked.

"The Emperor of Xing," Hao replied.

* * *

"Aren't you worried? Someone is out to take your husband's life," Josiah chattered.

Christin didn't move, her bright green eyes locked on the tombstone before her. A warm summer breeze lifted strands of brown and purple hair and made them float effortlessly around her face. He noticed that her left hand clenched around the fabric of her skirt, the large scar covering the back of it standing out sharper in the fading sunlight. The petals of the bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone rustled pleasantly in the same breeze, a few of them separating from the main flowers and drifting away into the distance.

"What... can I do? I'm dying... I'd only be more of a burden to him. I've fucked up his life enough, don't you think? I have complete faith that he can manage on his own... without me," she said bitterly.

"What the hell is that attitude?" he snapped, slapping her face.

She staggered backwards and pressed a hand to her cheek, staring at him in disbelief. Hot tears stung her eyes and she ground her teeth together.

"After all you've been through, you choose now to get all defeatist? Are you that cowardly that you'd rather die instead of face life? If you're going to act like that I regret ever creating you! You have changed the lives of so many people so why can't you let yourself be happy for once?" Josiah barked, clenching his fists.

"Serves me right, huh?" she asked, lowering both her hand and her gaze. "I... can't help it. I'm only human. It's only natural... that I'd harbor feelings of selfishness and resentment. I don't know, maybe I'm scared. I've been used and tossed aside so many times. People want to be remembered long after they're gone. I'm scared that once I'm gone people will forget me. I... don't want to be forgotten. It's happened too many times already."

"Keep talking like that and you'll end up making Ed break his promise to you," Josiah pointed at her rudely.

"His promise?" she repeated stupidly.

"Yeah, don't you remember? When he proposed to you, you said that you were broken and warped because you'd been told over and over that you were worthless and stupid and that sixteen years of thinking like that were irreparable, and then he said that if given that amount of time he could change you, if not fix you, and he proposed and you accepted," he explained. "If you shave off all the formalities and extract the core, you get a promise. He promised to change the way you perceive the world so you wouldn't ever feel that horrible ever again!"

"How the hell did you remember that? You weren't even there," she replied. "And what's with the extracting and shaving crap? This isn't a cooking lesson!"

"But he made you a promise, didn't he?" Josiah demanded, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. "Do you really want to make him break it? Use your head a little, you fool! Do you know what he says about you when you're not there to hear?"

"Damn, that woman's amazing in bed?" she guessed.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Josiah hissed, bopping her on the head.

"Sorry," she grinned, sticking out her tongue.

"He keeps prattling on about how you were the one to touch his heart," Josiah smiled. "You saw into his core and found the smallest fragment of the kind of man he wanted to be and brought it to the surface."

"Really, _he_ said that? Sounds like something I'd say," she pouted.

"Who cares about time and how much or how little is left?" he laughed, slapping her back. She winced from his enthusiasm. "You two have something rare and you shouldn't let it get poisoned by your doubts. Revel in your love! You're only young once!"

"Pfft, whatever," she scoffed.

"Stay by his side and enjoy the time you spend together. Take it from someone who died a million times: in the end all you have are the experiences so you better enjoy them while you can, little girl," he smirked. "And since he's the main target of a serial killer, you had better stay with him. We all know how you can get."

"Yeah... I know how I can get. I mean, you know how I killed Robin," she chuckled dryly. "I sandpapered the man to death."

"And now his brother wants revenge. Ironic, isn't it?" Josiah snickered. "Aren't you coming?" he asked, turning around when she didn't walk with him back towards the house.

"No... I'm going to stay here a bit longer. You go on ahead, Ed'll see to anything you need," she replied, shaking her head and folding her hands behind her back.

"Alright, I'll be hanging around for a few days so I'll see you around," Josiah waved. "I better see you around, that is. You do something stupid and I'll turn you into a soul attachment with a toaster!"

"I got it, I got it," she waved back.

She sighed deeply and turned to the gravestone, the setting sun casting a warm orange glow on everything. She sat own on the ground and rested her arms on the carved rock. As an afterthought she rested her cheek, which was starting to swell a little, against the cold stone as well. Another breeze decided to play with her hair, tugging at it as if it was trying to get her to stand up and leave her doubts behind.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you... I can't even save myself, so how can I be expected to preserve Ed's life? People expect too much of me. I'm just one person; I'm not as great as they think me to be," she chattered.

A few tears dropped onto the rock, staining it darker where they landed.

"What should I do? You know, don't you? What should I do, Rio?"

* * *

_**Area 51 **__**1**__**/**__**2 **__12-25-10: Muahahahaha... I feel so evil. I don't know why, but I feel evil. Okay, I remember there was something I wanted to explain when I was writing chapter 1, but I completely forgot... oh, yes! The cast for book 3. I'm going to limit the cast of characters in book 3 greatly, mostly because this book's main issue is highly personal (Ed and Al's existence). Obviously, the Elrics are going to be there (they have to be [all of them] because they're the driving force behind the entire trilogy). I'm also going to try to focus more on the relationship between Ash (Aislinn's nickname... shortened name, whatever the hell it's called) and Rin. That's because... well, there's going to be a large hunk of the story focusing on Ed and Al and I didn't want the girls to feel left out (especially Rin, because she might try to kill herself again [just kidding]). And I thought of a really good idea to test the strength of their relationships. I mean, Ed and Al aren't going to be there (with them) so I wanna explore how the two will deal with that. So I'm gonna try to focus on the inter-mingling of the characters this affects most. Wish me luck, eh?_

_Unfortunately, I want to write the Rin & Ash part more than the Ed & Al part right now... ah, whatever shall I do? Suck it up and deal with it, most likely._

_So how was everyone's holiday? Did everyone get what they wanted for Christmas? And what about those of you who don't celebrate Christmas (just in case, I don't want to be rude)? I'll talk about my X-mas in the next Area!_

_Until chapter 3..._


	3. Fade Away

_3: Fade Away_

"You know what's wrong, don't you?" Edward demanded.

"Geez, I just walked in. And the answer depends on what you're asking about," Josiah shrugged.

"Tell me why she has to die," the blond snarled.

"Simple, really. She abused her power and it took its toll on her," Josiah shrugged again.

"What?" Edward asked weakly.

"Remember how she was being used as a vessel? For your Godchild power? That was because of something dealing with your birth. There was some unknown element in your body that made you different from other people, at least as far as genetic makeup goes. I'm not sure if the same element is still there now, but you had it when you were a child. Because of that foreign element, you were unable to house your Godchild power properly. She was the next best thing, because her own powers were repressed when Envy sent her across the Gate. Something was sparked inside her and she landed on the other side of the Gate. The time of her arrival occurred when Aislinn was transmuted into a Homunculus, so that might've been the trigger that landed her here. Her own powers suddenly emerged, resulting in what we've come to call Dies Irae. Your power, however, was still being housed inside her body. That's why she was so powerful in the beginning. In case you haven't noticed, she hardly ever uses her power the way she used to," Josiah rambled.

Edward listened to what Josiah was saying. A foreign element inside him? Everything else the cockroach was saying made sense, more or less. Power being repressed on the other side of the Gate, and completely dormant beyond it. The transmutation of Aislinn and Christin's sudden appearance made less sense but still seemed logical. He watched her as she played with the children, keeping an eye on Tobias and Hao as they ravaged an alchemy book.

"You remember what happened to her during the War of Deception? That was caused because she simply had too much power inside her. Once she got rid of the excess power, she became relatively normal as far as exceptionally talented people go. It's a different form and slightly less organized, but she's basically the same as any other alchemist, call her what you will. Her heart failure, the consumption, everything was because her body couldn't handle all that power. I'm not blaming you or anything, but this is how it is," Josiah shrugged.

"Then... why did she get sick? Was that because of the extra power too?" Edward asked, hiding his eyes behind his hair.

"Unfortunately, yes. During that one split second when she got rid of and you obtained your Godchild power she got infected. Those doctors were wrong about the cause. It isn't genetics, it was that airborne contraceptive designed to help purify the air over there. Some people fall victim to it, others get lucky. It all comes down to chance," Josiah huffed.

"Can't you do something?" the blond asked, his hands forming fists. "You're a god, right? Can't you do something?"

"I could..." Josiah nodded. Edward's face lit up and he started to smile. "...but it would take a very long time to figure out what exactly is wrong and how to fix it. I'm sure one day I'd figure something out, but who are we to know how much time she has left?"

"Figures..." Edward muttered, his smile slowly turning into a scowl. "Some god... some god you claim to be! You say you're something so damn amazing but you're all talk! You can't even save one person!" he raged.

"Go ahead, call me whatever the hell you want! It's not going to change anything!" Josiah snapped. "You're still as arrogant and naive as ever!"

"Is it because you can't... or you won't?" Edward asked firmly before walking away, leaving Josiah standing alone in the entryway.

"...Ed?" Christin asked when she was hugged from behind suddenly.

"Don't... don't say anything, please," he begged softly. She nodded once and kept her mouth shut.

"I want a hug too!" Dawn exclaimed, hugging her father's leg.

"Hey, me too!" Dusk whined, joining his sister.

"Alright," Christin smiled, crouching down to hug the twins and dragging Edward with her. Tobias flung himself into the hug as well. "Well, don't just stand there."

"Me?" Hao asked uncertainly.

"Uh-huh. As long as you're staying with us, you're part of the family too," she nodded, extending a hand. "It's impossible to be shy in this house so don't act like a shrinking violet."

Edward tightened his grip and allowed himself to smile as well. The ability to lighten a situation or person's mood was typically lost as a person grew older, but she seemed to have kept that trait. He couldn't count all the times he had been feeling down and she had cheered him up.

"Mama, I'm getting hungry," Dusk pouted.

"Me too," Dawn agreed.

"Guess I should make dinner then," she chuckled.

"I'll help!" Dawn exclaimed, raising a hand into the air.

"Um... Ed?" Christin asked when the children had ran off to other parts of the house.

"Yeah, what is it?" he replied.

"Could you help me get up? My legs..." she said wryly.

"Geez, the things I do for you..." he grumbled, grabbing her arm and hauling her onto his back. "You're lucky I'm so damn smitten with you."

"Thank you," she sang as he carried her to the kitchen.

"Hey, what're these?" he asked, picking up some papers from the table next to Christin.

"Oh, Winry wanted me to help refine a few designs she was working on. It was something to do while that apprentice of hers practiced anatomy with the children," she replied, playing with her hair.

"Oh, that's right. I forgot she has an apprentice. Don't see how it works, really, her being a mechanic and the kid trying to become a doctor," he shrugged, tossing the papers aside and folding his arms behind his head.

"Be nice. She's doing a favor for her parent's friend by taking the kid under her wing. And don't even think of getting started with the whole 'if the kid needs to study anatomy, why can't they use Ethan' spiel. You know as well as anyone that anatomy differs from male to female, and from one age to another. I'd send you over as well, but I don't know how much you'd like being poked and prodded by some strange teenager just entering his prime," she smirked.

"You're really dirty sometimes, you know that?" Edward said archly.

"I'm not dirty, I'm just inappropriate," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Besides, you like it and you know it," she added smugly.

"Call it what you want to, you're still it," he sassed. "Oh, I'm so pretty and charming! I can make anyone do anything by batting my eyelashes and using sexual innuendoes!" he mocked, crossing his eyes and placing a hand on a cocked hip.

"I'm not like that," she said stiffly. "Am I?"

"No, not really, but you could be if you really wanted to," he grinned.

"Nah, I've never really been interested in acting like a whore," she sighed, leaning back on her elbows.

"This from someone who says her main skill is seduction?" he asked playfully.

"How long are you two going to talk? This isn't a coffee shop, you know," Tobias chided from the doorway. "Dad, are you okay?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine," Edward said quickly, hiding his left arm behind him.

"Hao and I were talking and he said he wanted to sleep in my room. Is that okay?" the young boy inquired, holding his hands behind his back.

"Aw, how can I resist that face? That's perfectly alright, but if I catch you two up after hours, you'll be sleeping outside in a tent, understood?" Christin smiled, ruffling Tobias's hair.

"Yup!" he grinned.

Edward couldn't help smiling. If he didn't know better, he'd say he was having an out of body experience and was watching himself when he was younger and his mother. Tobias was like a miniature version of himself, and even the twins looked like him. Dawn and Dusk both had their mother's green-brown eyes but it made him a little bit sad that the only child that actually looked like his wife had died. He wondered if it made her sad too.

"So, you reach any sort of conclusion yet?" he asked her over a dinner of stew.

"Nothing in particular, why?" she inquired. "I'm not a freaking genius like you; I need a few days to get my thoughts organized properly. What do you think it is?"

"Believe it or not, I'm actually leaning towards that whole past-life vision thing you talked about. I'm not sure why, but it just seems to make sense," he replied.

"Really?" she exclaimed. "That's so unlike you!"

"Don't rub it in. I'm starting to sound like you," he said through ground teeth.

"Is that a bad thing?" Hao inquired.

"Oh, definitely," Josiah nodded.

"She's crazy," Edward said grimly.

"Stark, raving mad! She has brief periods of sanity, and that's the only reason she's not locked in a padded room," Josiah added.

"For reals?" Hao asked flatly.

"Actually, she's one of the most powerful people in the world, but she's too modest to say so," Tobias replied with a large grin.

"Mama's special!" Dusk added.

"Special!" Dawn repeated, punching the air with her fist. The two parents burst into laughter at the children's' comments, and even Josiah chortled a little.

Edward enjoyed the fun they were all having, but felt a little guilty that his brother wasn't here to share it with him. And lingering in the back of his mind was a small thundercloud, waiting to cast a shadow over his life. He didn't even want to think of the phrase that would trigger that imaginary storm, but he did anyway: how much longer would this last? How much time did he have left... before the woman sitting next to him would vanish? How many more times would he get to see her smile?

"Dawn, drink your milk," Josiah chided.

"You're not my daddy. I hate milk," she pouted.

"She's definitely your child, Ed," he said dryly, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Well duh, whose child did you think she is?" the blond replied crisply.

"Are you implying something, Josiah?" Christin asked archly. "You, of all people, should know how loyal I am to those I care about."

"I'm not implying anything! I'm just confirming that she's yours!" Josiah said, waving his hands in front of his face.

"Confirming?" she repeated tartly, cracking her knuckles. "What are you suggesting, Josie?"

"Isn't Josie a girl's name?" Hao interjected.

"It's ambidextrous," Christin replied.

"You mean androgynous," Edward corrected.

"I do?" she asked, her anger fading for a moment.

"Ambidextrous means you can use both hands for things like writing. Androgynous means something is hermaphroditic and a specific gender can't be confirmed," Tobias quipped.

"It's androgynous," she said to Hao.

"You sure about that, genius?" Josiah teased.

"Stop mocking her. Can't you see she's getting irritated?" Hao interjected. "I really don't think my aunt likes you belittling her intelligence. She's just as smart as anyone else."

"You're too cute," she squealed, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

"That's alright, isn't it? To call you my aunt? You're a friend of my fathers anyway, so..." Hao blushed and stopped talking.

"That's perfectly fine," she grinned. "Right... uncle?"

"Don't call me that; it makes me feel old," Edward grumbled.

"But you are! Both old and an uncle, I mean," she replied.

"I'm thirty-four years old! Calling someone old implies that they're at least fifty! If anyone's old, it's the cockroach," he snorted.

Edward stuffed his left hand in his pocket once more, because once more it was vanishing. No one seemed to notice, but he did earn a pointed glance from his wife more than once. She cocked an eyebrow, silently asking if something was wrong. He pointed at the ceiling and mouthed the word later, implying that he'd tell her later on that night before they went to bed. Secretly, he was glad that his right arm wasn't vanishing anymore, because that would just cause unnecessary questions and probably make him have to eat like the dog did, by sticking its face into its food dish. That idea didn't particularly appeal to him.

"You're being all emo again, Dad," Tobias chided.

"Geez, can't a guy brood for five minutes in this house?" he muttered under his breath.

"Nope! Along with not being able to be shy, we're not allowed to brood at the dinner table," Tobias said in a know-it-all tone, waving his spoon around like he was conducting an orchestra.

"Who makes up these rules?" he asked, exasperated.

"Hey, don't look at me," Christin shrugged.

"Why not? You're the only other adult living here," he hissed.

"Age has nothing to do with it," she replied snidely.

"I guess you two just won't grow up," Josiah chuckled.

"I am grown up!" Edward insisted, his cheeks heating up.

"Same here! I've come a long way from the sniveling, suicidal, pathetic excuse for a girl I used to be, ask anyone!" Christin clenched a fist like it would help prove her point.

"Gender has nothing to do with it, but I admire your honesty," Josiah smirked.

"Mom's BS-ing and you know it, Josie," Tobias noted.

"Toby, what's BS?" Dusk inquired.

"Bull spit!" Dawn answered.

"That's not quite it, Dawn..." Tobias grinned wryly.

"How old are they, two? If they're trying to curse now it'll only get worse when they get older," Hao commented.

"I know, I know..." the boy sighed angrily. "They're no help, so I hafta try to curb their language by myself."

"You're mother's sick, isn't she? How much longer do you think she'll have?" Hao inquired.

"I don't know. Even my power as an emissary of the Truth can't tell me that. It... won't tell any of us that. Dad says it's a sadistic bastard and I believe him. He lost his limbs to that thing, and almost his life. My uncle lost his whole body and almost died a few times himself. Even my mom is tainted by it. Dad told me she lost her voice and her power once, in exchange for getting himself, my uncle, my aunt and herself out of the Gate without paying the price. I don't know why she got them back, though. No one told me that, and I'm too scared to use my powers to find out," Tobias chattered.

"Oh..." was all Hao said.

"But... Mom's had a hard life, from what Dad tells me. I think, deep down inside... in a part of his heart he doesn't dare acknowledge, he's relieved," Tobias continued.

"Relieved?" Hao repeated, thinking he had misheard.

"If... if she does... go away... she won't suffer anymore, right? I think Dad feels the same way. No... his feelings are more intense. He's known her longer than I have, and knows exactly what happened to her, not just what he's been told," Tobias said strongly, looking directly at Hao.

"I'm almost positive... that some part of him is relieved."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 12-26-10: woo hoo! Chapter 3 is done! This book seems to have a darker tone than the prior two... maybe because of the 'sickness cloud' lingering in the distance? That's probably it... anyway, this book is going to be slightly more dramatic as far as the intimacy of the relationships go, at least, that's what I'm hoping will happen. Maybe more than 'slightly' dramatic but we'll see how things turn out. They aren't going to be pleasant for some people, that's for damn sure. Ed sure does a lot of thinking in this one... oh, the reason I'm focusing on him so much is because 1) he's the title character for the series this is based off of (obviously) and 2) I think he's got more to think about given his situation. But I think it's because he's the title character. No, it's __not__ because I'm madly in love with him... well, maybe a little bit... but the situation he's in the most depressing right now, so the focus is more on him._

_Now, about my holiday! I told you I was going to talk about it last time, right? I got part one of season one of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood! I've been watching it over and over practically since I opened the package! _**FANGIRL ALERT - FANGIRL ALERT**_I also got books 4,5 & 6 of Rosario+Vampire, which means I have to rearrange my bookshelf yet again... sigh... I also got new headphones, which I really needed, and $25 iTunes card (woo hoo!), a bunch of shirts and half a zillion different kinds of colored pencils and drawing pencils and two new sketchbooks. Oh, and this really cool but really strange ring. Its two rings, but they're connected by a chain, you know? I'll take a picture of that so you can see it and maybe figure out how the hell I'm supposed to wear it._

_I also wound up with 95 bucks! I'm planning on spending that cash on either white boots (to match a white dress I bought back in November. Maybe I'll take a picture of it so you all can see it) or I'll buy anime goods, obviously from FMA (because I'm the biggest FMA dork in my entire senior class, if not my entire high school)... I think the only thing I don't know about FMA is the character's birthdays... since I'm on the subject of age, Ed looks younger in the new anime than in the old one. I don't know if that's because of the change in animation style or what, but he looks younger in Brotherhood than in the first one (but he looks sexier in the first one...). Scar looks hella scarier in Brotherhood too... I absolutely adore the ending (is that a guy or a girl singing? The more I listen to it the more it sounds like a guy, but I'm not sure)! How Ed and Al supposedly drew it all... so cute! Though I'm a little miffed about how Armstrong catches Ed then just throws him off the screen to strip yet again (if you've paid attention, you'll know what I'm talking about)... I don't really like that part, that I don't. I love the opening. I have the song on my Ipod (actually, it's been on there practically since I got the Ipod a year ago...) so I can sing along like the dork that I am during the opening. And I keep thinking that the guy with the ponytail at the very beginning of the opening (in case you don't know who he is; I do because I've read the manga up to volume 21, which I can never find in the stores so I can finish reading the damn series) is Ed but _**SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT **_it isn't. And I'm wigging out because they're rushing through everything that was in the first anime. I mean, it took, like... what, six or seven episodes to cover the Elric brothers' past? Brotherhood covered it in, like, two. Maybe. But I love how it's almost like the manga, panel-for-panel. Oh, and the animation for when Ed has the nightmare after Nina's death? Where his mom asked why he couldn't fix her? I love how clean and... liquid the animation is. It flows so beautifully, like it's a liquid or something! I'm getting all squealy just remembering it! I'm thinking about recording it to my Ipod (I have the nano with a video camera) so I can watch it over and over again! And Ed's hair looks softer than in the first anime. Maybe because it isn't outlined in black (it's lined with a dark yellowish color, for those of you who haven't seen Brotherhood yet), but it just looks softer... lighter and fluffier looking... kinda like it's glowing or something... he's got magical hair that glows when he sings! He's Rapunzel's stunt double in Tangled! And I got four collectible postcards with the anime! I put them on my wall with all my other FMA posters... well, only one's a poster (from the guidebook to the old anime), the rest are... um, one's an ad for the first part of the second season of the old anime, I have a few cut-up pictures from the first video game (still haven't found good places to put them yet), an ad for the Shamballa movie, and half a million (more like a dozen, really) hand-drawn pictures. But don't jump to conclusions! I have pictures from other anime on my walls as well, like Nana, Soul Eater, Vampire Knight, Ouran High School Host Club, Honey and Clover, The Gentleman's Alliance Cross, and a map from a Final Fantasy game. And, of course, a bunch of pictures drawn by yours truly and my friend before things turned sour. Oh, but I have an FMA backpack (I use it for school) with Ed's face on it. Yes, I'm that obsessed, I admit it. But apart from how they're squishing everything from the old anime into a few episodes where it took several before... I just watched the Rush Valley part and Ed sounded like a total fangirl when he said 'It's a baby! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!' and kept repeating 'awesome' over and over again._

_**So, sorry about the long Area, but it wasn't filled with useless babble about my life. Well it was, but the bulk of it was actually related to the story... sorta. It was about the original FMA (meaning the manga, which is what the Brotherhood anime basically is)! I'll chat more about Brotherhood next time. It's almost 1 in the morning now, so I should probably go to bed soon.**_

_**REVIEW IF YOU'VE READ THE AREA (but tell me about the story, what you think and all that)!**_

_Until chapter 4... oh, the title of from yet another Breaking Benjamin song, but only because of the vanishing limbs thing happening to Ed and Al, though this chappy was mostly about Ed._


	4. Feelings Brought by the Night

**See ****Area 51 1/2 ****for important info about the characters! If you're interested, that is.**

_4: Feelings Brought By the Night_

"Alright, start talking," Christin prompted.

"It... happened again," Edward admitted, holding up his left hand. "Twice more today my hand vanished. It came right back, but..."

"It still vanished. That's really bizarre... I honestly don't know what to make of it," she plopped on the bed and drew one knee up to her chin. "Maybe they're right about it being something in the past, though it seems pretty far-fetched."

"I'm still surprised you haven't had a meltdown yet," he said.

"Gawd, enough with the intelligence bashing already! I'm trying to help you, you ungrateful jackass! I know I may not be the smartest person in the world but I'm doing my best!" she snapped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so nasty," she said not two seconds later, flopping on her back and staring at the ceiling.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault shit keeps happening to us," he replied, joining her on the bed. "I know you're doing your best, but you can ask for help once in a while."

"What the hell does that mean?" she asked.

"It means... you're not alone. I don't know what's going on but you can't solve the problem all by yourself. That's just impossible, and I'm not talking about your stupidity," he mumbled as his cheeks grew hot.

"You don't sound like yourself," she chuckled. "Even when you get remotely sentimental it sounds way out of character for you."

"Is that a complament or an insult?" he asked.

"It's a statement, I think." She sat up and studied him for a moment or two before speaking again, "Hey, you okay?"

"I don't want to go to sleep. I'm sick of that damned dream. There was once a time when I dreamed about you. It pissed me off at the time, but now I kinda miss it," he sighed.

"But I'm in that one, aren't I? That's what you said..." she started.

"It's you, but it _isn't_ you. It's not the same. It's like... there are parts of you that are missing. Your modernness isn't there, and your damn pop culture references that I still don't really understand... its like you were born in a different time and grew up there. It... made a lot more sense in my head, wow," he finished with a huff.

"Maybe it is me... you know how energy can't be created or destroyed, only redirected like the Lifestream? Maybe it works the same way with our souls. They get broken down when we die and rearranged to form new life. I'd say that we could ask Truth, but given what he she it whatever said last time, that might be a bad idea," she mused.

"What did it say?" Edward inquired. He knew what it had told him the last time they met, but no one else mentioned what happened to them.

Christin looked at him, her mouth forming a firm line. "It said that if you two met again, it'd take your life. Speaking of Truth, I wonder what happened to that bastard..."

"You care what happened to him? You almost died because of him," he snorted.

"Well, sort of. You have to give up something when you commit the taboo, right? It didn't look like he had given up anything... you lost your leg and Al his whole body, then you gave your arm to get his soul back... Izumi lost some of her organs... and Dante, I wonder what she lost to the Truth... does it take only physical things?"

"I don't know. And personally, I don't want to find out."

"I lost my powers and my voice that one time, remember? Magic isn't something you can grab onto and hold... hm... maybe the bastard gave up his soul. He did become the pawn of Homunculus, so maybe when he transmuted Aislinn he managed to bargain and make his soul be the toll..." she mumbled, biting her lip thoughtfully. "And we were able to fix Aislinn after she became a Homunculus, so maybe he conducted the transmutation wrong and ended up meeting Homunculus instead of Truth."

"You don't sound like yourself," he teased.

He tugged on a lock of her hair. She had let it grow out after the recent war, so now the bottom eight inches or so were purple. He absently wondered why she kept coloring it purple, but knew if he asked her she'd say she didn't know. She was like that, doing things without giving a specific reason. Often she acted before she thought, something he did as well. She could be shockingly immature, though she was two years younger then he, but could do a complete one-eighty and act like a typical, responsible adult.

"You're thinking how annoying this is, aren't you?" she asked.

"No, not really," he replied. "I was thinking about... something more interesting."

"Oh, really..." At first she seemed disinterested (not that he could really blame her, since he usually ended up talking or thinking about things she wouldn't understand without a lengthy and boring explanation) but after a while her eyes widened like she realized something, which she most surely had.

"Took you long enough," he chuckled, placing one hand on her slender waist and pulling her closer.

"Excuse me, this stupid brain was busy contemplating all the bullshit still going on," she replied archly.

"You are not stupid," he said firmly as she positioned herself on his lap, her legs on either side of his hips.

"Glad to see someone on my side," she said smugly before kissing him firmly on the mouth.

_Sunlight slanted through the gaps in tree leaves and branches overhead, blindingly bright against the darker shadows of the forest. The surrounding flora and fauna was colored a bright, vibrant green because of the snippets of light, the same color as _her_ eyes. The sky was shockingly blue, dotted here and there with puffy white clouds. There was a fresh, wet smell in the air; a storm had passed just that night, leaving the ground moist and slightly squishy. A bird or two chirped in the distance as a warm breeze swept through the area, threading itself between the trees and playing with strands of his hair. The hourglass around his neck tinkled prettily as he moved. It was rather large, as far as hourglasses went, but it wasn't all that heavy._

_"You're almost there..." a voice that was all at once familiar and strange said playfully._

_He heard the sound of rushing water and, picking his way through a tangle of bushes, almost stepped into a mighty river. He watched it for a moment or two, feeling himself smile at the sight of a fish or two leaping out of the water and sending sparkling droplets into the air. Across the river, he saw a fox and three cubs. He winced, a hand moving to the place on his arm where the fox bite had once been and fingering the metal plating there. He could feel the cuts and scraped across it. He hadn't been keeping up with his maintenance as well as he should have, and perhaps was being more than a little careless._

_A thought struck him: what would he do if it malfunctioned while he was here? He didn't know where he was, much less how he got there or how to get back home, and judging from the vastness of this forest, he wasn't sure there was a shop nearby that could fix him up. He'd have to solve this cursed problem quickly and get back to where he belonged. He made a promise, and he intended to keep it, no matter the costs._

_He pushed forward, walking along the edge of the river towards its source. It wasn't long before he reached a massive stone wall, a mountain or large boulder, perhaps. He sighed angrily and rubbed his temples. He was supposed to continue towards the river's source, but how could he when the way was blocked by stones? There was only a small area where the water rushed forth, and that was far too small for him to fit through even if he crawled on his stomach. Of course, he'd probably get swept away or choke on the water if he tried that. The current was too quick for an army crawl through a tiny tunnel that was who knew how long. Another sigh escaped him, and he looked around. The stone was smooth and almost vertical, free of crevices or vines or anything that would help him climb the damned thing. Actually, the only thing that looked remotely promising was a small hole near the far edge of the river. But only a small animal could get through that, like a rabbit or squirrel..._

_Or a cat._

_For the first time, he realized, he was glad that he was a chimera. He leapt to the other side of the river, nearly losing his balance and falling into the water. The tunnel wasn't as long as he thought it to be, and before he knew it he had emerged on the other side. His head throbbed in pain suddenly, so intensely it almost crippled him._

Edward sat up quickly, breathing hard and fast. He sighed wearily and shook his head a bit. That was strange, to say the least, but better than the dream he'd been having for the past month and more.

"I'm a chimera..." he muttered softly to himself, bringing a hand to his mouth in shock. He thought that damned cat transformation was just a bit of playfulness on his wife's part, but now he saw the broader picture. "But... why?" Flashbacks of Greed and his chimera minions ravaged his brain. He was like them, but why? Why was he a chimera?

There was a sleepy sigh next to him, and a shifting of weight. Out of habit, almost, he drew up his left leg and hugged it, feeling that phantom pain once again. Lately, for some reason or another, his leg had been hurting.

Why? Why was all this happening? Just what the hell had he done to deserve all this? Was it 'fate' or 'destiny' or some other nonsensical BS he didn't believe in? Or even just rotten luck? He didn't know, and he desperately wished he did. He watched as his hands, once more, faded in and out of view.

Unable to back to sleep, he wandered to the kitchen. Maybe he'd feel better if he ate something. All the same, he just sat at the table and stared out the window at the night sky, absently pulling his loose hair into a braid. Countless stars glimmered like glitter in the blue-black expanse, and the moon was huge and low against the mountains in the distance, casting its ethereal glow on the world. Nighttime sometimes made him feel melancholy. There was just something about the darkness... the stillness... of the night that brought out all the emotions he didn't want to feel. The things he had hidden deep inside him rose to the surface. But among the regret, the sadness, and the hint of lonliness, guilt stood out the most sharply. He felt absolutely horrible for feeling that way... for being slightly relieved that she would die. Yes, she wouldn't suffer any more, but it wasn't like he wanted her to die. If anything he wanted her to live, to see their kids grow up. But he didn't want her to be in any more pain. Her life had been hellish enough, and even now there was surely hell to come. His own life had been a living hell at times, but it had never been so bad that he tried to kill himself. There were times he had thought about it, but he simply couldn't bring himself to actually try. He had Alphonse to look after. They might be grown up now, with families of their own, but he was still the older brother. He was obligated... no, that wasn't the right word... he was responsible for his little brother. Things had improved, eventually, and those thoughts left his head entirely. But now he had to wonder, something he never really had time for before now, what drove a person to attempt suicide? What could possibly be so awful, so horrible, that someone wanted to die?

Christin had talked about it once or twice, saying that she had been insulted and ignored during the first sixteen years of her life. Her 'parents' had split when she was young, and she kept going back and forth between custody of her 'mother' and her 'father' and never really invested in long-term relationships, even platonic ones. The longest relationship she'd had with another person, she said, was perhaps two or three years. The relationship between her and her 'parents' had began crumbling before the Jump, and she and her 'brother' had never gotten along very well.

_"Each time I made a friend I thought was worth keeping, something would get in the way and they would leave, and I'd be alone again."_

He considered calling his brother, because these thoughts were beginning to eat at him, but decided against it, since it was three in the morning. He'd wait until later, so as not to upset anyone by the early morning phone call. Out of nowhere, he felt terribly lonely. He wanted to go back upstairs and huddle under the bedclothes, but he couldn't bring himself to stand up. How could he, knowing what he knew?

He expected it. He kept waiting for the day when he'd wake up and find her dead. But each day came and went, and things were as normal as they could get. He was scared for her. He almost wanted to wish she was dead, so he could stop waiting for it to happen, but he couldn't bring himself to. He just didn't want to lose her. That one person who had touched his heart... who had managed to find the smallest fraction of himself he had buried all those years ago under the desire to fix his mistake.

"You're up awfully early. Is something bothering you?" that adored voice said around a yawn.

He looked at her over his shoulder, not caring that he was crying. How could he not? It was too sad.

"It's not fair. Why you? I can't act like it won't happen, not all the time. It's a permanent shadow in my mind, waiting until I'm alone to emerge and torment me. When I'm by myself, it's all I can think about. Granny said that crying over dead people makes them sad in the next world. You won't be there to comfort me when I'll start crying, so I'm crying now," he explained, perhaps in more detail than was needed.

Christin hated that look. She hated it so much... it broke her heart each time he wore it. He wasn't angry, or dissapointed, or even confused. He was sad, plain and simple. Nothing more and nothing less. She watched as a single tear tricked down his cheek, glittering in the pale light of the night.

"Do you think it's any easier for me? I might not get to see the kids grow up. I might outlive you, or I might die tomorrow. Not knowing that, but knowing my chance for dying is greater than anyone elses, terrifies me. I hate the fact that this has made me like your mother: I'm going to die and leave you by yourself, not because I want to, but because there's nothing I can do about it. I don't want you to feel the way you do now. I don't want to see you like that. As much as you hate seeing me cry, I hate seeing you cry as well. There's some part of me that wished we hadn't been told about this, so we wouldn't be counting the days or minutes, but there's also a part of me that's glad we know, because it won't come as such a shock. It'll be that, of course, but not as strongly as if we didn't know," she replied, forcing herself to make eye contact. "I can't pretend that I don't know about it, and I can't forget about it."

He looked at her, watching as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and played with her hair. He saw her scars, all of them. The intricate ones on her left arm, the three parallel ones on her right, and he even saw part of the one on her chest from her heart surgery. Despite all those imperfections, he still thought she was beautiful.

"You saved me time after time after time, and I'm going to try not to dwell on the doom and gloom lingering in the distance. That first time I really died, when my heart failed, it was you who brought me out of that coma. I'm not going to let this life that you gave me go to waste," she said firmly.

"Huh? But..." he started, slithgly dumbstruck by her sudden change of attitude.

"No buts! You are going to snap out of this weird funk you've been in lately and go back to your normal self!" she snapped, whacking him. "For the kids if not for me!"

"Geez, what's gotten into you?" he asked.

"I hate being sad and gloomy. Maybe... you're keeping your promise after all. Maybe you are changing me, little by little. I used to hate people, but now... now I'm the assistant music teacher at the school. I'm a lot nicer than I used to be, and I'm friendlier too," she chattered.

"What promise are you talking about?" he asked, trying to hide the faint blush that crept across his cheeks.

"I know you know," she smiled.

He couldn't help mimicking the action.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__12-29-10: four down, who knows how many to go? I'm just gonna write and see where we end up, alright? No specific arc-chapter planning for this book, I'm afraid. Oh geez, near tears here... sorry I'm writing about Rin and Ed so much, next chapter will take us back to Al and Ash, promise. My cat's sitting on my lap and making typing a little difficult..._

_Continuing from chapter 3's discussion about the Brotherhood anime, I'll try to avoid any spoilers if at all possible. Let's see, what else is worthy of being mentioned in the Area? Definitely the fluidity of the animation, like I said last time. Scar looks really scary this time around... and Basque Grand looks scary as well. I think it's funny that in Japanese Ed is voice by a girl and in English Al is voiced by a girl. Maxey kinda does sound like Aaron, and when I first started watching Brotherhood I was all 'Who the hell is this Maxey? What happened to Aaron?' because I didn't really notice any changes in Al's voice. I'm really sad that there haven't been any miniskirt or dog-love lines from Mustang this time around, yet at least. I only have part one, so... Hughes is as dorky as ever, though, gooshing over Elysia like in the old anime... I'm trying not to grimace as I type this part... Speaking of Hughes (this was mentioned in the episode 10 commentary [yeah, I listen to commentaries] at his funeral) he's twenty-nine in this series! I'll have to watch the old anime to see if the ages match, because on his headstone it said he was bron in 1885 and died in 1914. That mean's Mustang's in his early twenties or something! Early to mid, like... 22 to 26, I should think. But he doesn't die, so I can't check the date on his gravestone. I shouldn't have to comment about Ed and Al's age, because they're still fourteen and fifteen, respectively. And I'm really glad that most of the original voice actors are returning to do Brotherhood._

_Speaking of voices, no pun intended, how many of you reader-writers hear the voices of the characters in your head as you write? Because this occured to me when I was wrapping up chapter 3, because I could hear Ed speaking his lines in my head. Then the others started speaking their lines in my head, so I was wondering how many of you have the characters speak what you're writing? It helps me a lot, actually, because I can really get the feel of what the people are saying and how they'd say it._

_As for the OC voices... I'll tell you about them since there's no anime (hint hint at any anime producers reading this) you can watch to hear their voices: Rin's voice is actually pretty normal, like mine. Sure, she (meaning me) can make all sorts of strange noises like high-pitched squeals but when she's just talking it's pretty normal. Aislinn, I mentioned somewhere in book 1 (I think), has a bit of a Scottish accent. I always imagine her rolling her R's... and for some reason she keeps clicking her tongue when she gets bored. I don't know where the hell she got that from, but she clicks her tongue when bored. Toby's voice... is like a less squeaky version of Ed's sort of. Take Ed's voice when he was little and sort of... de-squeak it (that's what I keep calling it, but I'm not sure if that get's my idea across) and you'll get Toby's voice. Ed's voice if it was slightly deeper, I suppose. Josie... has just a regular guy's voice. There isn't anything really interesting about his voice, but people tend to obey him when he gets really angry, so I guess a powerful voice would work? But it also has to be kinda goofy... like Abel Nightroad's voice, more or less. Robin... has (had?) a deep voice, but it was kinda scratchy as well... a creeper kind of voice. His brother will have a similar voice, I'm guessing, because they're brothers. Katie and Kelsie had girlish voices, meaning that they were somewhat high-pitched and perky kind of like Winry's but not as annoying. Rio had one of those really annoying anime girl voices, like that blue haired girl whose name I forgot from the Martian Successor Nadesico: Prince of Darkness movie. Man, I hate her voice... Dawn's (Elric, not the girl from the last book) voice is like Hazuki's from Moonphase, more or less, and Dusk's is like a typical little boy's voice. Ai also has one of those annoying anime girl voices, the really pitchy and squeaky ones, and she whines a lot. Marcus... had a cool voice kinda like (I'm not trying to be racist) a black man's voice. One of those really cool, suave, smooth voices like molten chocolate was oozing from his mouth when he spoke (what the hell am I talking about?)... yup. Santi has a bit of an edge to her voice (sorry if this bothers you, but it how she sounds to me) like one of those stereotypical badass girls who are all 'It's that way because I said so. You don't like it, kiss my ass.' Belphoebe... was a less perky version of Winry, like a cool buisnesswoman. Anyone I forgot (you see why I cut the cast way down? That's too many OC's to keep track of!) either I didn't give enough lines to imagine the voice or... I just didn't care about. Toast-loving Caleb had a dorky voice, like a teenage geek that was kinda cool (not the geeks with a lisp or speech impediment, again no offense intended)..._

_Oh, and in case you were wondering, Roy and Riza don't have any kids because 1) it was too much of a pain to create another OC, and 2) Rin is troublesome enough as it is. She might not live with them but she's still Roy's legal kid. Gawd, could you imagine if she lived with Roy and Riza? I keep picturing some weird FMA version of Ai Yori Aoshi or something... Love Hina, even, one of those manga where five zillion people live in a boarding house and keep getting in each other's way. Maison Ikkoku, even, is a good reference though I haven't seen/read any of it (just trailers advertising it). You know, there'd be Ed and his family over here, Al and _his_ family over there, Roy and Riza over that way, so one and so forth._

_More next time! Damn these things are getting long... __**BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE STORY, NOT MY PERSONAL LIFE! THIS IS STUFF YOU NEED/MAY WANT TO KNOW! **__But these damn Areas are taking up an entire page or more, not what I promised (half a page) at all!_

_By the way, it's summertime in the story right now. Just saying... see you in chapter 5!..._

_Oh, I found out Ed's birthday! Yay me!_


	5. Brewing Troubles

_**Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu, mina!***_

_5: Brewing Troubles_

"Hey, so is it true about your uncle?"

Ai looked up at the kid who was talking to her, a boy with bushy brown hair that stuck up all over the place and a missing tooth. He was in her class at school, but she wasn't friends with many people.

"My uncle?" she repeated, unsure of what the boy meant.

"Yeah, haven't you heard? The Fullmetal Alchemist is the main target for that serial killer in Dublith!" another boy added, matching their pace.

"I heard he's just perfecting the method he's gonna use to kill Fullmetal by killing all those other people," a third chirped. "Sort of like training. Practice makes perfect."

"There's no such thing as a perfect murder," Ai scoffed. "Murder itself is bad enough, and it certainly can't be perfected."

"Oh, I know what you're getting at," the second boy sneered.

"Equivalent Exchange!" the other two boys chorused.

"Your point?" Ai drawled.

"Uh..." was the reply.

"That's what I thought," she said smugly as the four walked over the bridge crossing the river. "Typical of little children. They try to bully and mock people until someone asks the reason."

"You sound like a grown up," the third boy said, sticking out his tongue.

"That's... not my fault though," she mumbled.

"You're weird, Ai. It's like you're an old person in a kid's body," the first boy snorted.

That did it. She tugged on her special gloves and clapped her hands together. The fabric had half a transmutation circle printed on one glove and the other half on the other glove. When the two halves met, she was able to transmute. She slapped the ground and the concrete rose up and trapped the boy's feet.

"I don't care what you call me, as long as it isn't old," she spat viciously, turning on her heel and storming off down the street.

East City hadn't changed much since the War of Deception, but at the same time it had. Just like there had been people from this world who went to live in that false world, people from the false world came to live in this one. In the past year and a half, technology had advanced greatly. There were so many things from the false world, though they were primitive compared to what was in the false world. There were computers and portable phones and television and all sorts of things. Even the cars looked different, because apparently some automobile engineers from that world came to this one.

She stopped only once to buy a newspaper, an errand she almost forgot her mother asked her to run. She sauntered down the sidewalk and read the front page. She came to a complete halt before grabbing the paper in one fist and running the rest of the way home.

"Mom!" she cried, bursting through the front door.

"What happened now?" Aislinn sighed, rubbing a cloth over her automail arm.

"We're in big trouble, that's what," the girl said, tossing the crumpled paper onto the table.

"Serial killer Bluejay moving east from Dublith, claims his next target city is East City. Well, that is problematic..." Aislinn read aloud. "Bluejay and Robin... I wonder if that's his real name."

"What are we going to do?" Ai asked. "Aunt Rin and Uncle Ed are coming here tonight. What if the killer finds them?"

"They're more than capable of caring for themselves. They'll be fine," Aislinn reassured her.

"If you say so, you know them better than me," Ai sighed, placing her schoolbag on the table and hopping up onto a chair.

"Your father knows them even better than I do. I wonder how he's doing..."

* * *

"Why do you keep sticking your hand in your pocket and taking it out again?" Fuery inquired.

"Huh?" Alphonse replied. "I... don't know. I'll be right back."

He walked briskly to the bathroom and leaned heavily on the sink, watching as his hand faded in and out of view for the umpteenth time that day. Something was seriously wrong with him. It had started out with just his hand vanishing, but now it was almost his entire limb. He pushed up his sleeve and lightly touched his transparent limb. It was still there, but he could see right through it. What the hell was going on?

"Hey, there you are!" a lesser officer exclaimed as Alphonse walked into the hallway. "A mission just came in for you!"

"A mission?" Alphonse repeated, stuffing his hands in his pockets to keep them from swinging while he walked. "What for?"

"Um..." the officer flipped through some papers on the clipboard he was carrying. "It's in Dublith, to investigate the serial killer Bluejay. Apparently he's using alchemy to..."

"To kill the victims?" Alphonse finished gravely. "There's no end to the terrible things people use alchemy for..." he sighed wearily.

"Uh, there are a few images taken from the scenes of the crimes that we actually found. Mostly it was just the bodies that would turn up, but either people at Southern HQ are investigating more thoroughly or the bastard is getting reckless and leaving traces," the officer continued, handing Alphonse a stack of photographs.

"Maybe he wants you to think that. Hunter and hunted... it's like hide-and-seek. The hunter stalks the prey, following whatever traces can be found. The prey does anything possible to avoid being hunted, including leaving false tracks. Don't take it so lightly," Alphonse mumbled, flipping through the photos.

"We haven't been able to identify any of the victims because their faces have been to badly mangled, and there have been no leads to an ID for any of them. It seems he favors girls, because most of his victims are girls presumed to be in their teens to early twenties. It's kind of hard to tell by looking at the bodies..." the officer continued. "And there have been romurs that he's heading east..."

"For the main target," Alphonse concluded.

Naturally, he had seen the headlines all the newspapers and tabloids were screaming about his brother. Sadly, there didn't seem to be anything he could do about them. The media wasn't something that was easily controlled, so it was best to let things die down until some other media darling was discovered and hounded to death.

"You don't have to stay here anymore. Your last report's been filed, and it'll take a while to get this one sorted out. Of course, you can refuse the mission..."

"Don't be stupid. It was given to me because the higher-ups think I'm capable of handling the job, not so I could show my cowardice. I'll handle the mission," he grinned.

"Y-yes sir!" the officer quipped, saluting him.

Alphonse returned the gesture and his grin softened a bit. "I'll be taking off, then. See you later." He made his way out of headquarters, exchanging greetings with familiar people.

"There you are!" Ai exclaimed when the front door swung open. "I was getting ready to go inside and get you."

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to walk you home. Mom said that the rumors about Bluejay shouldn't be taken lightly considering the situation and the fact that the Fullmetal Alchemist is your brother," she replied smugly.

"So she sends a little girl?" he asked playfully.

"I-I'm not little!" she said hotly.

"I'm just teasing you. Thanks for coming to pick me up, Ai," he smiled, patting her head affectionately. She grabbed his hand and the two walked down the streets of East City.

"Oh, Mom said that their train got delayed, so Rin and Ed won't be coming until later tonight. I almost forgot to tell you," Ai chattered.

"Oh, really? I wonder what happened..." he replied. "I hope they didn't get into any trouble..."

"I wouldn't bet on it," she said in a know-it-all tone. "Those two are just magnets for trouble! Maybe it wasn't the best idea that they wound up together."

"You probably wouldn't exist if they hadn't," he replied dryly.

"Excuse me, are you the Soulbound Alchemist?" a little boy's voice inquired.

The pair turned around to see a small boy wearing a green Xingese style outfit. His hand tightly gripped the strap of the messenger bag slung across his shoulders.

"Yes, I am," Alphonse replied warily. He knew from his experiences traveling with his brother in search of the Philosopher's Stone that state alchemists weren't always well-liked by people.

"Thank goodness! I've been looking for you all over the city!" the boy sighed happily. "I was told to come talk to you about what's happening to you."

"Who are you, little boy?" Ai demanded, placing a hand on her hip.

"My name is Hao. Your brother sent me, since their train was delayed. Well, the man in the glasses, Josiah, sent me, but he's in cahoots with your brother so it's basically the same thing," Hao replied.

"No it isn't," Ai replied snidely.

"Ai..." Alphonse sighed.

"We shouldn't converse in the streets like this. The shadows have ears and eyes, and they won't hesitate to use anything that was said carelessly to their advantage," Hao said wisely, pressing a finger to his lips.

"Right. The apartment isn't far, we can talk there," Alphonse nodded in agreement.

Ai kept looking over her shoulder at the Xingese boy following them. Given all that had happened, or at least what she knew happened, strange people popping up to preach something at them wasn't exactly out of the ordinary, but something about that boy just seemed bizarre. Each time she looked at him, he smiled this stupid grin, like he had no idea what was going on. He was weird, plain and simple. And what was in that pale pink drawstring bag he wore around his waist? It looked awfully girly for a wallet or something...

"There..." Hao said once they were inside. He dipped two fingers into the pouch and pulled out a pinch of pale pink powder. He sprinkled it on the floor just behind the front door and clapped his hands. A pink transmutation circle appeared on the door. "Now the area is secure. My powder is made from the crushed petal of a sacred flower in my country, and possesses special qualities. It also aids my alchemy. See the markings on my hands?" he asked, tugging at the long sleeves covering his palms. Two black circles with matrixes resembling flowers were printed in his skin. "These, combined with the powder, give me my power."

"Y'mean like how some people have objects with circles on them?" Ai asked, pulling out her gloves and showing the boy the circle halves.

"Sort of. We have something slightly different in Xing, like Amestris has alchemy and Creta has magic. Purification arts or alkehestry or whatever you want to call it," Hao shrugged.

"Whatever, little boy," she scoffed.

"You've got quite an attitude for someone so young," he commented. "Aren't you concerned about your father?"

"Don't be stupid!" she pouted, folding her arms firmly across her chest.

"If what is happening to him continues, you will cease to exist as well. I don't know all the details, but I do know that unless something is done quickly, we will all cease to exist," Hao said stiffly.

"I'm not too keen on the whole 'child messenger' idea..." Aislinn commented, greeting her husband and child.

"But no one suspects a child. We can slip in and out more easily than an adult agent would, and if we speak of our mission people will think it's just a game," Hao replied.

"You're pretty sharp for someone so young," she said.

"I had to be. I was a child of the court in Xing until a scandal forced me to leave. I recieved the finest education possible!" Hao said, puffing up a bit.

"Well, I'd prefer to wait until the others arrive to discuss anything in detail. This concerns both of you, and I think both of you should be here to discuss this," Aislinn snorted at Alphonse. He nodded in agreement.

"You feel you'll be left out since it doesn't seem to affect you," Hao's words were more of a statement than a question, but the woman replied anyway.

"I don't see how this concerns my sister and me. What can we do?" she sighed softly. "For all our power, we might as well be normal human beings. It's about time to get dinner started," she added, giving herself an excuse to get away from the strange boy.

_The sounds his shoes made on the stone floor echoed in the long hall, further emphasizing the emptiness of the estate. He walked a few paces behind his brother, only it wasn't his brother. His hair was far longer, reaching down to his buttocks, and his right arm was unmistakably human. He flipped through a large book, the pages crinkling strangely as they were turned._

_"This campaign with the Mercians is a damned nuisance," the Brother-that-wasn't-Brother griped. "How the hell does that wench expect me smooth relations over?"_

_"I don't know, my Leige," Alphonse replied._

_He must be dreaming, that was the only logical excuse. Why else would he be reenacting a scene from some historical fantasy novel? And why was he referring to his brother as a 'leige' anyway?_

_They continued down the stone hallway. It might've just been the fact that it was built of stone, but it seemed abnormally cold inside, despite the long rectangular holes that were windows and the warm spring breeze that drifted in through them. Leaves on the trees outside were a bright, vibrant green and the sky was so bright blue and dotted with fluffly, pleasant looking clouds. Somewhere a bird sang, the sound sweet and cheerful. The stone hall eventually turned into a massive courtyard, lined with lush plants and magnificent statues. There was a large fountain in the center surrounded by four stone benches. The carved fish spat streams of water that caught the light and twinkled prettily._

_Something whizzed by and struck the stone ground just as he misstepped and stumbled a bit from an uneven stone. There was a grunt of pain next to him, and he turned to see his brother-that-somehow-wasn't doubling over on the ground, blood seeping from the wound and staining both his shirt and the wooden shaft of the arrow peircing his skin. Something jabbed his arm near the shoulder and he looked to see an arrow sticking out of his own skin._

_All around were joyous cries. Arrows rained down and struck him mercilessly. He thought that he heard a cry, but whether it was from himself or someone else he wasn't sure._

"Oh, good, you're awake," Aislinn said, relief clearly written across her face.

"Did something happen?" Alphonse asked groggily, rubbing a hand across his face and pushing himself up so he was in something resembling a reclining position. His back and neck muscles felt stiff and sore, and it hurt to move his shoulders.

"You looked like you were having one hell of a nightmare. It's not like you to fall asleep on the couch like that," she replied. "Dinner's ready."

"Right..." he nodded, wincing as he sat up. He brought a hand to his shoulder and massaged it a bit in an attempt to make the stiffness go away. It didn't work as well as he hoped. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, not bothering to notice the fading. Considering how things had worked out recently, he'd get an explanation sooner or later.

"Yes, I told him that," Hao chattered into a mobile phone. "No, just what you told me... I don't know, you didn't tell me that. ...no, I had to come here on foot because of the train delay... uh-huh..."

He paused while the person on the other line talked at him. He rolled his eyes at the lengthy explanation he was getting.

"Yeah..." he agreed when he was given time to speak again. "No, it was decided that the explanation would wait until you guys got here. No, you'll have to send them as soon as they know what's wrong. If they go back far enough, that'll stop and they'll be able to fix it... I don't know, there isn't a user's manual for that thing, you know! If... right, I'll see you tomorrow, then." He sighed wearily and hung up the phone, sticking it in his messenger bag where it would most likely slither to the bottom and get buried by his spare clothing.

"Damn cockroach, making kids do the dirty work..." he swore under his breath. "Despite my role, I don't see what children have to do with much of anything, if things are on a scale that grand..."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 1-x-11: I was watching Brotherhood again (I've been watching it for almost a solid week) and the ending reminded me of the Super Mario games, how the characters run across the screen and stuff. I don't know why, but that's what I thought of when I watched it..._

_This chapter was... well, it was difficult to write, for some reason. I have no idea why, but I just couldn't write well this time. Why is it so damn hard to write about Alphonse? The flashback/dream things are easy, but everything else is such a pain... I plan to separate the siblings by chapter 10... or have them separated by chapter 10, at least. I still have to explain everything (in depth, unfortunately) about the vanishing bodies and how the brothers can fix it. Actually, I still haven't really figured out what's wrong that making them vanish, but I'm kinda thinking it's something to do with Hohenheim and Dante... and that 'foreign element' I mentioned... I've gotta figure out how to explain that as well... sigh... if you'd read the manga, you'd get a hint, but I can't tell you what I have in mind because it'll ruin the story! But as far as the quality of the writing, I've improved so much from book 1! Book 1... seems a bit childish when I go back and read it. I don't know why, but the writing seems less mature (I'm not talking about what's being written about) than in book 2. Either way, I like book 2 a bit more than book 1. 1 was a bit scattered and, like I said before, childish. Well, it was the first hard-core fanfiction I wrote. (I mean it was a serious story.) Book 2 had a lot more going on and was kinda hard to keep track of, but I think I did a better job with 2 than with 1. My words aren't making as much sense as I wanted them to..._

_The stuff in bold at the beginning of the chapter translates to 'Happy New Year, everyone!' I'm practicing what little Japanese I actually remember. I was going to write just 'Akeome' but I thought the full phrase would seem more formal (what the hell am I being formal for?)_

_I can't think of anything else that needs talking about... oh, Hao... I'm not sure why, but I've wanted to put a character who uses some kind of magical powder in the story. I'm still working out the significance behind it, but he's got that stuff for a reason. I'm thinking it's along the lines of... well, you know how the lotus flower is considered special (sacred?) in some cultures? I was gonna use that but the details... I'm not so sure about. I'm sorta leaning towards it's a kind of drug or something, but I really don't know right now. It'll make sense sooner or later, I promise. Maybe I'll use it for the scenario with the twins or something... any suggestions? And I was going to give him a twin brother, but decided against it. I use twins too much already..._

_Until chapter 6... I feel like I'm taking a 20 HP hit each time I churn out a chapter... someone get me a Phoenix Down or twenty million! Ugh, and the chapter names? Don't even get me started! I like giving the chapters names because I don't really like numbers, but sometimes coming up with a suitable chapter title is such a pain!_

_Until chapter 6..._


	6. Existence

_6: Existence_

"Honestly, I don't know how you do it," Christin grumbled, stretching her legs.

"Do what?" Edward asked.

"Sleep while traveling! How? How do you do that?" she complained. "It's so uncomfortable! And it moves around to much!"

"You're just paranoid, Mom," Tobias sneered.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." she mumbled.

"Haven't been to the city in a while," Edward said softly, taking in the image of the bustling station. "I forgot how annoying it can be," he added as a group of children ran past, screaming their heads off, while some poor teenaged girl chased after them.

"Do you think Hao made it to the city alright? Now that I think about it, it was pretty mean to make him run all the way here..." Christin mused, folding her arms. Dawn grabbed onto the hem of her skirt and cowered as a trolley overloaded with luggage wheeled past so the various trunks and suitcases and crates could be loaded onto a train that was preparing to depart.

"That was his idea, though," Tobias cut in.

"I know, but still..." she sighed.

"To point out the opposite end of your argument, I don't see how you can _not _sleep while traveling. We've been on that train for a few days, and you've stayed up almost the whole damn time," Edward hissed. "Aren't you tired?"

"Like Toby said, I'm paranoid. Ever since I was a kid I think that if I'm not awake while traveling, something bad will happen. Especially at night. Do you not remember how Aislinn died? Her train crashed!" Christin shot back.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you... why'd I become a chimera?" he asked. "And how exactly did you put me in that cat body?"

"The same way you fixed Al to the suit of armor. Only without blood, because it would've been washed away. I kinda sorta tattooed a seal onto the back of the cat's body and fixed your soul to it. There was a seal on your human body as well, to ensure that you'd be able to go back to your body once the surgery was done. As for being a chimera..." she paused to think. "It'll come in handy one day. I'm not sure why, but it's just one of those gut feelings."

"I really hate when you do things without a good reason..." he grumbled.

"Oh, quit your bitching," she spat, picking up Dawn, who was beginning to get tired from walking through the city. "You've never complained before, so I don't see why you should start now."

"Better late than never," he replied crisply.

"Don't quote at me," she hissed. "I'm too tired to bicker."

Edward rolled his eyes.

* * *

"It's about time!" Hao said firmly, folding his arms when they finally arrived at the apartment. Edward and Christin shared a glance and mumbled apologies.

"What took you so long?" Aislinn inquired after absently telling the children to behave themselves.

"The train had some technical difficulties," Christin replied.

"You broke something, didn't you?" the elder twin asked.

"I did not! Why do you always think I did something?" the younger burst.

"Because trouble follows you like thunder after lighting," Aislinn smirked.

"Yeah well... your hair's curly, so there," Christin retorted lamely, mentally kicking herself. Could she have sounded any more stupid? That was probably the lamest thing she could've come back with! Then again, comebacks weren't her specialty.

"That's the best you came up with?" Aislinn asked dryly.

"Shut up."

"The train broke down just as we were leaving the station. The wheels were completely retarded-looking, so we had to wait until new ones could be exchanged with the old ones," Tobias replied.

"Oh, really?" Aislinn asked.

"You believe your nephew more than your sister. Somehow that makes me mad..." Christin mumbled to herself.

"If you're finished, there's something of life-changing importance that needs to be discussed," Hao interrupted. "If it isn't covered and the issue fixed, you're all in danger."

"You're right. We should discuss what you've come here for," Alphonse nodded to his brother and sister-in-law.

"Makes sense," Edward agreed. Everyone assumed various positions in the living room: Edward and Alphonse on the couch, Aislinn in a chair, and Christin standing broodily by the doorway.

"I'll get right to it," Hao said firmly. "As you know, I'm just a messenger, but I've been told to tell you that your lives are in grave danger. There is something happening in the past, in the half-dimension where time repeats itself. Someone has gone back and altered something that is affecting you now. If the error isn't corrected quickly, you both will cease to exist."

"Cease to exist? What are you talking about?" Edward scoffed.

"Everything about you will be erased. Your past, your present, everything. It will be like you never existed," Hao said grimly. "No one will know who you are. Your names will bring up nothing when mentioned, if by some strange happenstance they are. Your existence will be erased."

There was a strained silence in the room. No one wanted to talk. They didn't even want to breathe. How could someone's existence be erased? That just didn't seem possible. The laughter of the children in the next room seemed distant and like something out of a movie, where one could hear the sounds, but didn't know who or what was making it or where it was coming from. Someone had to say something...

"Can that be fixed?" Christin asked softly, her voice barely a whisper.

"It can, if immediate action is taken. You can use the Hourglass of Ages. It has the power to send the bearer back in time. Use the Hourglass to correct the error that has been made in the past. It is the only way you can save yourselves," Hao replied.

The brother's shared a brief, disbelieving look. Were they really supposed to believe this little boy that had show up out of nowhere?

"You can believe him. I was the one who sent him here, after finding him on the run from Bluejay," Josiah's voice interrupted. "He needed a safe place to stay, and you seemed like the best people for the job."

"So we're just baby-sitters?" Aislinn asked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately," Josiah nodded.

"Unfortunately? Why is that unfortunate? Why do you keep using us? Why are you jerking us around so much?" Christin snapped, her anger causing her fists to clench tightly. Her fingernails dug into her skin, but she ignored it. That sort of pain... she was immune to that now. She had been hurt far worse by something far more deadly, one time too many.

"Call it destiny or fate, it doesn't matter. I've told you before, this is because you're strong," Josiah replied coolly.

"So if I was weak, you'd leave me alone?" she snorted viciously.

"Not necessarily. I do apologize for the burdens you've carried because of me, but someone who is weaker isn't better off. You ought to know; you used to be weak yourself, before you came back home," he countered. "Take a look at yourself. Count all the scars that you made yourself. Only someone who is weak tries to end their life. You were so pitiful that you could barely scratch the surface of your skin sometimes."

_"Shut up!_" she barked. "You don't know anything!"

"That's enough," Aislinn cut in. She glared fiercely at Josiah. He smirked.

"So we have to go back in time and fix whatever's being altered?" Alphonse asked, doing his best to change the subject. "Sounds easy enough, compared to what we've dealt with before."

"That's right. Of course, I can't tell you what's wrong exactly. You'll have to figure that out on your own. As was mentioned before, you can go back in time using the Hourglass of Ages. Once you repair the error, you can use it to return to the present," Josiah rambled.

"That doesn't make sense," Edward muttered under his breath. "People can't travel through time. That's impossible."

"So you still see the world in black and white, huh?" Josiah chuckled, the sound indicating growing irritation instead of humor. "Haven't past experiences opened your eyes even a little?"

"If all we are is dusted shades of grey..." Christin sing-songed softly. "Someone get me a Swiffer Wet-Jet..." A hard glare from Josiah shut her up.

"You can put all your faith in science and fact, Edward, but there will always be _something_ you can't explain logically. I've done my best to try to get you to see that, and unfortunately you're the best person for the job so you'll just have to make do," Josiah said crisply.

"Don't belittle me," the blond scoffed, blowing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, you're short enough already," Christin mumbled.

Edward, by some great feat of strength, ignored her remark. "Alright, O Might One, how am I supposed to fix this?" he asked archly, lifting his transparent hand and turning it around. "Believe it or not, there is something I'd rather be taking care of and I'm not sure how much time I'll have left."

"Then you'll have to leave immediately," Hao said. "The error is occurring now, in a manner of speaking. If you travel back far enough, you will stop vanishing and be able to fix the problem."

"You make it sound like it's a computer or something," Christin commented. Aislinn shot her a wearily look and she pantomimed zipping her lips closed, locking them, and throwing away a key. Aislinn rolled her eyes at that and tried not to smile.

"How soon?" Alphonse asked.

"Tonight, if possible. By dawn tomorrow at the latest," Josiah replied.

"That soon?" Alphonse asked, incredulous.

"If you want to continue existing, yes!" Josiah snapped. "But if you want to fade into anonymity, _literally_, please be my guests. However, if you want to continue living, I suggest you two get your asses in gear."

"Looks like we're stuck, Brother," Edward chuckled dryly.

"I'll tell headquarters you won't be able to go on your next mission for a while. Unless... you wish to have a stand-in state alchemist?" Josiah said, stuffing one hand in his pants pocket.

"You can do that?" Aislinn inquired.

"It doesn't happen very often, but there are times, like if the mission is something important and urgent, where a state alchemist can request a temporary stand-in. A substitute dog," Edward replied with a nod of his head.

"I didn't know that... maybe I should've paid more attention when I worked in the military," Christin mused, gnawing on her lip.

"You weren't a state alchemist. You didn't necessarily need to know that," Edward cut in.

"Well, pardon me," she said snidely, mocking him with a curtsy.

"We'll leave by dawn," Alphonse decided.

"Sounds good to me, I guess," Edward agreed.

* * *

"Is it too much to ask to take me with you?" Aislinn asked later that night, when everyone was settling down for bed.

"I would if I could, but I can't," Alphonse replied. "The kids need someone to take care of them, and you know your sister wouldn't be able to fend for herself."

"Yeah, that's true," Aislinn laughed softly. She pulled on a thin-strapped shirt and shorts and tied her wet hair back in a loose bun. It was getting warmer in the evenings, meaning summer was reaching its peak. There was an air-cooling system installed in the apartment building, of course, but it seemed better just to open the windows because it got cold around two in the morning and they could easily be closed to retain the heat absorbed by the long sun-filled day. She sat down heavily on the bed, the thin covers cool and comforting against her bare legs.

"I have to wonder, though, why you didn't leave as soon as possible. Your existence is on the line here. Shouldn't you fix the problem as soon as possible?" she asked.

"Aislinn, it's not like I'm going to work. I don't know when I'll be back so I want to spend as much time with you as I can before I leave," Alphonse replied, a light blush creeping onto his cheeks. "And I know Brother feels the same way..." He pressed a hand to his mouth as he realized something.

"Hey, you okay? You look like you're gonna throw up," Aislinn pressed, worried.

"I...it's nothing. I'm fine," he replied, smiling.

"If you say so," she mimicked the action and kissed his forehead.

"You shouldn't sleep with wet hair, you know. You'll catch a cold," he chided as his fingers tangled in the wet curls.

"In this heat? It'll be dry within an hour," she scoffed, tracing his collarbone. "Hey, you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he asked.

"It's silent. That can't be good," she mumbled. Alphonse rolled his eyes.

"They could be asleep," he suggested.

"I know that, but I don't even hear talking. It's still early... I doubt they could be that tired."

"Christin doesn't sleep when she travels. She's been awake for several days in a row. I'm pretty sure she's almost comatose," Alphonse laughed.

"That's so bizarre. How can you not sleep?" Aislinn asked rhetorically. "I guess... I really don't know that much about her, even though we're twins. That makes me sad..."

"So use this opportunity to get to know her like Brother and I know her. It'll be just you two and the kids for a while, and most of them have school so you two will have plenty of time to talk and get to know one another. Use it to your advantage," he grinned despite the melancholic thorn digging into his heart. He hated the idea of leaving them alone for who knew how long, but if he didn't, he'd stop existing. He _had_ to go... otherwise...

"Don't look so sad. It breaks my heart." Aislinn lifted his chin and made him look at her. Her bangs were still dripping a bit and stuck to her face, creating dark brown lines across her forehead and cheeks. Water dripped down the side of her face. If he didn't know better, he'd say she was crying.

"Alright, that's it," he said firmly, clapping his hands and touching her head. In a puff of steam her hair was dry. She blinked a few times, dazed, then glared at him.

"Don't transmute me without my permission!" she chided, amusement noticeable under her serious tone.

"I had to! I'm leaving in the morning and I don't want to leave you here with a cold!" he snickered.

* * *

"Sounds like they're having fun..." Christin mumbled, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Oh, you're awake? You passed out after dinner," Edward said, looking up from his book.

"I haven't slept in days. You shouldn't be surprised..." she paused to yawn. "I slept, but I still feel tired."

"Maybe that's because you stayed awake for so many days in a row," he suggested.

"Maybe... it'll be alright, won't it?" she asked softly. "I... I don't want you to go, but you'll cease to exist if you do. I... I don't want..." she trailed off, her words drowned out by her tears.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you die," he assured her, taking her hand in his.

"But don't you see? You might see the world in black and white, like that cockroach said, but surely even you noticed..."

She paused again, wiping tears off her face with her free hand and taking a deep breath so her voice wouldn't sound strange.

"It's the same situation in which your mother died."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 1-8-11: another one down and out. This one took a while to write, for some reason. Usually explanation chapters are fairly easy to write, but this one was... hmmm. The line 'All we are is dusted shades of grey' is from an Aiden song, but I can't remember which..._

_There is one day left until my birthday. I'm not sure why, but I'm kinda scared. I mean, maybe its the fact that I'm going to be a legal adult or just the fact that I'm getting old, but I'm scared._

_This occurred to me that you might not know this, but I'm gonna explain it anyway. Have I already gone over their ages? I feel like I have, but I'm too lazy to go back to previous chapters to check. And the Areas are so long sometimes! But I'm talking about the story, mostly, so its okay? Anyway... the ages are as follows, for those who haven't figured it out/don't know: Ed is the oldest, followed by Al. Ash is the same age as Al and Rin is one year younger than Ash (because there was that time lag between dimensions, if you'd remember the difference in time in the movie [like, 1916, I think, to 1923... I haven't seen the movie in a while so I don't remember exactly], so it makes sense that Rin would wind up a year or so younger than Ash, despite being twins). So Ed's the oldest and Rin is the youngest. The A's are in the middle. I think it's kinda funny how the oldest siblings got paired up with the youngest siblings. Actually, I'm not sure how I made Ash older than Rin (how I decided she was the older twin, I mean). She was originally going to be killed off in book 1, but I kept her for some reason. And Al is the only one who doesn't have automail (Ed's arm and leg, Ash's arm, Rin's heart) so he's kind of the black sheep. I hope you're not too mad at me for cutting down the cast so much. It's stupid; really, I cut down the cast, but put another OC in there... Well, I'm planning to make Hao disappear in one way or another. And most of the cannon characters are gonna show up when Ed and Al go solve their 'problem' (sort of, they're more like reincarnations of the cannon characters... the cannon characters if they'd lived at this point in time, which they did...) so I'm not really cutting down the cast by that much. My sentences are starting to sound strange..._

_Now it's time for Rin-Chan's Random Recommendation! If you want a cute romantic manga, VB Rose is an excellent manga! It's by Banri Hikada (I'm pretty sure I'm spelling that right...) and is so cute! Especially the fashion. I won't tell you what it's about... okay, I will. It's about this girl named Ageha (not Agatha, which is how I read her name for the first two books) who is upset over her sister's wedding and somehow or another gets roped into helping make her sister's wedding dress with the owners of the dress shop Velvet Blue Rose. That's all I'll tell you! I love the fashion and dresses in the story... so cute..._

_Ah, I've got a Tumblr now! I'll post a link on my profile thing._

_I'm really sorry, but my website is just too much of a hassle. It'll be deleted but I set up a new Deviant Art account (cuz I couldn't remember the stuff for my old one) so I might put the pictures from the site on my DA account. As for the DXM manga... I'm really sorry. I'll probably put that on DA too, I'm not sure yet. Chapter 4 has been done for months now, but I haven't had the time to scan it to my computer to upload..._

_The link for my DA will be on my profile as well, though you could probably just search Rin-ne (my username) or something. There isn't anything up at the moment, but I'm working on it! My internet sucks sometimes, so please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE, __**PLEASE, **_**PLEASE**_ bear with me! I know, I know... I'm horrible for leaving you all hanging like this so much... *regret storm*_

_I was thinking of dying my hair red like my mom. I'm currently a brunette-blonde (that sounded stupid)... My hair is brown but it looks kinda golden in the sunlight. It's like Rin's hair, 'brownie crusts in the sunlight' or something along those lines. Golden brown or something, I don't know! I'll take a picture and show y'all..._

_But should I go red? People say that'll look good on me... but I also wanna try black... and for some reason my heart's set on bleaching my hair and dying it purple..._

_Okay, last thing for this Area! The origin of 'Area 51 1/2' for those who want to know. In chapter 59 (I'm Not An Angel) of book 2 I suddenly decided to rename my author's notes 'Area 51 1/2.' That title was taken from a drawing I did in my art class (I mentioned that as well, but this'll go into depth). We were learning how to draw one-point perspective and had to draw a fence vanishing into the distance. The teacher said we could draw whatever we wanted to show depth, so I made mine into a chain link fence because it was easier to draw cross-hatching lines instead of wooden planks. The background... I just drew mountain-like structures in the distance and a random tree and a tumbleweed. It reminded me of the desert and New Mexico and the Independence Day movie with Will Smith. I remembered how there was that huge expanse of desert and the hidden Area 51, so I wanted to do that. But the aliens I drew breaking out were too cute for Area 51! So I changed the name to Area 51 1/2. Leah snickered when she saw it, but I was pleased. She didn't like that I drew one alien getting trampled on by the others..._

_Till next time... is it bad that I'm having more fun writing Areas than the actual story right now?_


	7. A Promise Made is a Promise Kept

_7: A Promise Made Is a Promise Kept_

Dawn broke quickly over East City, the summer sun looming huge and low as it crested the horizon. The brilliant yellow light shone on the city, illuminating everything to it glimmered like a box of jewels. The early morning chill soon gave way to a comforting warmth as the hydrogen mass slowly worked its way into the sky, painting shades of pink, orange, and blue over the cool grey mist hanging in the still and silent air. Not many people were out, since it was both a Sunday and a little past five-thirty in the morning. Only a paperboy was outside, the wheels of his bicycle crunching loudly on the pavement below. A stray dog yapped at him and chased him for a few feet before giving up and wandering away. There was a yowl from some alley, and a black cat darted out into the streets with a tabby cat close on its heels. The two cats raced past the fronts of stores, almost getting tangled in someone's feet as they went. The person cursed at them and, muttering to themselves about pest control, continued with whatever they had set out to do.

_"It's the same situation in which your mother died."_

She hadn't meant any harm by saying that, Edward was certain, but it still lingered in his mind. Now that he thought about it, it was almost exactly the same. His father had abandoned him and Alphonse and Trisha, though he had a legitimate (if not a good) reason to. That bastard had let his mother die. He didn't give a damn about his reasons; she died because that man had left. Now he was re-enacting that same situation. His body was deteriorating, in a way, and he was going to leave his wife and kids behind. And he had sworn that he wouldn't do this exact thing if by some freak accident he got married and had kids! It wasn't a complete thought at the time, just anger and rage and perhaps a bit of sorrow. He had been walked back home after his mother's funeral, thinking nasty things about his father and planning the perfect insult if he ever saw the bastard again, when it crossed his mind that Trisha had died because Hohenheim abandoned her. He absently, almost blankly, thought that if he ever got married and had kids, he would never abandon them like Hohenheim had abandoned him and his brother and mother. He had almost forgotten about that notion, until _she_ had dropped into his life, literally. Looking back now, he found their first meeting funny, in a sense. He stifled a snicker.

A cool breeze swept his hair out of his face, letting the sunlight catch the golden strands and make them glow. Last night, it had been decided that they'd meet in the small garden in the back of the apartment building when the sun rose, mostly to avoid suspicion. Most people were still sleeping this early on a Sunday, and anyone passing would think what occurred was a trick of the light. At least, that was what the cockroach said. Honestly, he didn't trust that bastard too much after what happened last time...

"Wait..." Christin mumbled, grabbing onto his arm with surprising force, since she had just woken up. "Ed..."

"Yeah?" he answered, turning to look at her. She clung to his arm almost childishly, looking up at him with her bright eyes that were greener today than they had ever been before.

"Do you mind if I say something selfish?" she asked softly.

"I don't mind. Say whatever you want."

"I don't want you to go. I... I know that if you don't, you'll cease to exist, but I don't want you to leave me. Ever since we met we've been together. Losing you for a little while is better than losing you forever, but I still don't want you to go," she confessed.

"Then I'll come back. I'll return, I promise," he replied gently. "I'll be back before you die."

"Cross your heart and hope to die..." she mumbled into his shirt sleeve.

"What? That's pretty childish for a thirty-year-old," he chuckled.

"Just cross it!" she snapped.

"Alright fine, cross my heart," he sighed, drawing an imaginary X over his heart.

"Not like that. Pantomimes have no substance," she said firmly, pressing something small and cold into his left hand. He looked down to see his wife's pocket knife gleaming in the early morning light.

"Y-you can't be serious..." he blanched. She wanted him to cut himself? Then again, this was _her_ he was talking to...

"I am very serious, Edward Elric. If you won't do it..." she snatched the knife back and tugged at his shirt collar. The buttons popped off easily and exposed the firm skin beneath. "Then I will," she said, flipping the blade and holding it to his chest. The blade touched his skin lightly when he inhaled, sharp and cold

"It looks like you're trying to kill me. Knock it off," he replied, taking the knife away from her. He quickly made two cuts crossing each other on his chest. "I promise I'll be back before you die, cross my heart and hope to die."

"You've made your promise with blood, and blood is binding. I won't let you back out of it. I'll hold you to it until the day I die," she said, placing her hand over the cuts and smearing some of the blood in the process. He felt her hand twitch and a small sting, but he had just cut himself, so there was some sort of pain expected. He tried not to grimace at her overly-dramatic statement about blood being binding, though he knew she'd hold him to it. A quick transmutation fixed his shirt; he hoped the blood wouldn't stain it.

"Hey, are you coming or not? Need I remind you that your existence is on the line?" Josiah sneered, poking his head inside the doorway.

"Josie, can I kill you?" Christin asked tightly.

"Of course not! I am a being of the highest ranking! I'd have to kill you by torture if you tried to kill me," Josiah replied.

"Not if you're dead!" she snapped, launching her self at him.

Edward couldn't help but laugh. He thoroughly enjoyed his wife's ability to turn a gloomy situation upside down. He hoped she'd be able to do the same thing after he left. If she could stay cheerful... he decided not to think about it. He knew that she depended on him for oh so many things, but she was strong deep down inside. He knew she'd be able to make it through... however long it took to solve the problem. But, for her sake, he hoped it wasn't too long. That woman had been suicidal once, and there was no guarantee that, even now, she wouldn't turn back to that. The only sliver of hope he had was his promise to return. The promise she made him make... the promise he intended to keep.

"It's time," Hao announced.

"Right..." came a simultaneous, if not dull, reply.

"Oh, pull yourselves together and act like adults for once!" Josiah snorted.

"Bite your tongue," Aislinn hissed. "This isn't the same as sending him off to work. I don't know when I'll see him again! You can't expect me to be cheerful and say 'Have a good day, sweetie! See you later!' then go around my daily routine. I mean... look at my sister! She's stuck to Ed like glue because of this stupid existence-time-travel-anomaly bullshit!"

"Aren't I always like this?" Christin asked rhetorically. There was a quick nod from Edward, more for support than for validity. "I feel so childish."

"I don't blame you," he whispered to her, sliding an arm around her waist and holding her closer for a minute more... just a second longer... this would be the last time for a while, so he wanted to make it last. "I'm feeling a bit childish myself."

He just wanted to hold her. Screw that existence-in-danger business. His wife was dying and he wanted to be with her. He wanted to hold her close and tell her things he wasn't comfortable even thinking about around other people. Those things were for her ears alone.

"You can be as childish as you want when you get back," she replied. "Right now, you have something you need to do. I'll be waiting, so make sure you come back."

"Yeah," was all he could say.

"You made a promise. You have to keep it," she muttered as he turned to leave. "Or else."

"I will, don't worry," he assured her, kissing her forehead lightly. She handed him the Hourglass, hesitantly. He knew that neither of them wanted to part, but he had to. If not... he wouldn't exist. Everything about him would vanish, and that thought scared him more than being apart. A limited existence was better than none at all.

"Be careful. Make sure you eat well. Don't do anything too reckless," she chattered, her cheeks turning ten shades of red in the process.

"Brother, are you..." Alphonse started warily.

"It'll be alright, Al. This is all we can do at the moment," Edward replied, unwinding the brass chain and draping it around his neck and Alphonse's.

"Now, just do your best to focus on the time frame you want to enter. It can be a bit tricky for newbie time-travelers. You want to aim for a little before four hundred years ago," Josiah instructed. The brothers nodded and turned their attention to the Hourglass. The gold and silver rings shone brightly in the growing light. "Turn it backwards. Push the top away from you. That will send you back. Pushing the bottom back will take you forward and we don't want that."

"Right..." Edward replied distantly, glancing skeptically at the Hourglass. He really doubted that something so tiny could have that kind of power, but he nudged the top slightly. Nothing happened and honestly he was too scared to do anything more. He was going back in time, supposedly, and that thought frightened him. What if they got stuck? What if they got lost? Or worse, what if they got separated? What would they do then?

"Let me," Alphonse said, pushing the top backwards. The lavender sand made a soft sighing sound as it shifted with gravity.

"Do these do anything?" Edward asked under his breath, moving the silver ring. There were strange markings etched into the metal, probably some ancient written language.

"No, you mustn't touch those!" Josiah said sharply.

"What?" Alphonse said, jerking his hand awkwardly and making the Hourglass spin like crazy.

Suddenly, Edward knew what a sugar cube felt when it hit liquid. It was like his entire body was dissolving. He looked down to see small particles of his body separating and fading away, leaving something that he could only describe as sparkles in its place. A glance at Alphonse and he saw the same thing, and his own worried expression mirrored on his brother's face. He felt like he was floating, like the ground was far, far beneath him. In spite of the suddenness and the shock, he felt... what was he feeling? Oh, yes, he felt free. Unrestrained, liberated, really and truly _free_. He felt like laughing, he felt so good. A small chuckle escaped his lips as they formed a small smile.

"Alphonse!" Aislinn cried, alarmed. He saw her reach out for his brother, and he reached out similarly, his hand dissolving into sparkles as they touched. Alphonse looked like he was about to cry, and Aislinn was crying silently, tears running down her face.

"Ed."

"Huh?"

"I... I believe in you. I believe that I'll see you again, so... be safe, okay?" Christin said through a smile. "I believe that you'll keep your promise!"

He felt a grin tug at his lips. He knew that she wanted to cry, but she was forcing herself to smile. She probably... didn't want the last time he saw her for a while to be filled with tears and sadness. Yes, it was sad, but so was life in general. And besides, he had made a promise, hadn't he? To return before she died? If anything, he would keep that. He had crossed his heart, literally, and hoped to die, so he knew that his wife would uphold that to the best of her ability.

The dissolving sensation spread from his legs to his middle. He felt so light, so airy... like the slightest breeze would blow him all the way to West City and beyond. Next to him, he heard Alphonse chuckle through a sob. So he felt good too, despite the bittersweet situation.

"Rin chan!" he called as the feeling spread to his shoulders and neck.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I will come back, so don't get too depressed, okay? You have people who need you, so don't even think of throwing your life away over something as small as this!" he threatened. "Promise me!"

"I promise... I swear I won't give up!" she called, reaching absently for him. He reached out as well, though he wasn't sure why. Was it the pain of separation? Or of not knowing when he'd see her again?

It was because he didn't want to leave her alone. He loved her too much, but there was no turning back now. He was already halfway gone, and the rest would soon follow.

"I love you."

He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or if it was reality. It was one of those situations where it could go either way, depending on how he felt. Looking around, he saw a big void, dark blue like he was underwater. His hair floated freely around him, creating a golden veil that stood out sharply from the background.

There was a figure floating above him, glowing a soft and ethereal white. It was undoubtedly female, and a slender hand reached out for him. The hair covered her eyes, but she wore a kind smile. Edward wasn't sure if she was offering help or what, but he reached out for her. His automail glinted in an unseen light. The instant his hand touched the woman's, his automail shattered, revealing the flesh and bone beneath it like it was a protective armor. Her smile widened and the ring on her finger glimmered in the corner of his eye. She pulled either herself or him closer, he wasn't sure, and moved her hands to his face. She kissed him gently, barely brushing her lips against his. In the back of his mind, there was a sweet chiming sound.

Absently, almost blankly, he recalled the lyrics to a song Christin had once sung.

'I am floating away, lost in a silent ballet...'

He felt tired, all of the sudden, like whatever the Hourglass of Ages did to him drained all his energy. He sighed deeply and floated away into darkness, the woman's hand still holding his own. Almost blankly, he wondered what happened to his automail.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__1-13-11: well, I'm 18 now. Hard to believe I started this story when I was sixteen. Trilogy, I mean, not story (my sister says that it's all one story, it's just cut up into three parts that make it easy to swallow... maybe she's right...). I started book one when I was sixteen. That's two years (just about) that this story has been running. I just wanted to take the time to thank each and every single person who has read and reviewed. When I was writing book one I had no idea where I was going to end up and I probably would never have finished it if not for all you dedicated readers. You are the lifeblood of Godsend and without you I most likely would've stopped at book 1, had I had the willpower to finish it. I'm notorious for not finishing things, which makes my Senior Project all the more challenging. Please have faith in my abilities!_

_Alright, thank-you's aside... let's talk about the chapter shall we? I'm going to try to make this the best Godsend yet, so things might be different from the past two books. I mean, the details and circumstances and... (this is making less sense the more I type...) what I'm trying to say, I guess, it that this whole trilogy evolved from just a stupid fangirl's foolish fantasies and I want to end it fabulously... I think. Whatever, let's chat about something that makes sense. I really like the beginning of the chapter, where the city is described. I love the paperboy..._

_I got parts two and three of Brotherhood for my birthday, so I'll discuss that. First off, I'm glad that there is finally an animated version of the manga. I love Ling and May, and I'm not at all surprised that Monica Rial did the voice for May. When I first heard May speak, I was all 'Hazuki?' because she did the voice of Hazuki from Moonphase, so I recognized her from that. She also did the voice of Lyra in the first anime, but it wasn't as little-girl-like as Hazuki's, and May's voice was almost like Hazuki's on helium. And Ling... ah, I do love Ling. I loved him in the manga and I love him even more in the anime! And I'm so happy _**SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT**_ they put the Elric Telepathy in the episode where Ed, Ling and Envy get eaten by Gluttony. I almost died laughing when I watched that part! Of course, I keep remembering all the funny stuff from the back of the manga volumes right when things get serious, so it kinda gets ruined... I'd like to see the bonus stuff animated too. Meh heh... 'It's the colonel!'... Love that one... OOH Envy just went into his true form! Yeah, I'm watching it as I type. And Hohenheim... I liked him better in the first anime than in Brotherhood (but his past is cooler in Brotherhood! Why must that be?). And I'm so sad about what happened to Havoc... I wasn't as upset when I read it in the manga, but he's one of my favorites! But I get to see Olivier Armstrong animated too (she's voiced by the woman who did the voice of Clare in Claymore... Stephanie Young, I believe, is her name)! She's so epic... and more likeable than Armstrong (because of the whole strip-flex thing) and the sky in the second opening and closing is so blue its absurd! Have you ever seen a sky that blue in real life? Even the pale blues (the more realistic blues) look absurdly blue... and Envy's true form looks so epic animated... it reminds me, kinda, of the animatronic robots used in amusement parks. So cool... I love it, I love everything about Brotherhood! I haven't found one thing I disliked yet! Especially the third opening... I love the song and the animation and everything... it makes me want to squeal like the rabid fangirl I am at heart! I'm definitely gonna buy it on iTunes next time I get good wifi... does anyone even know what the word wifi is from? I asked my dad and he didn't know, so he wasn't much help..._

_Also (I'm getting into my personal life [my birthday, actually] now, so you can skip this part if you want) I got Mermaid Saga (by Rumiko Takahashi), a $15 iTunes card (more anime songs for Saru!), candy, a necklace with a cross, iron-on patches for a pair of my pants, and a new bag to use for school (it's got crosses on it). I have a strange obsession with crosses, though I'm not religious (agnostic, actually. Like Ed... but that was before I knew about him) so I guess it's the gothic aspect of them that I like. Actually, I wear a collar with an ankh on it every day, so I feel a bit like Moka from R+V (though hers is a cross... well, Rosario, actually, if you wanna get technical) but ankhs are like Egyptian crosses, so is there really that big of a difference? I'm sure there is, but I'm too stupid to figure it out, so if someone would be so kind as to help me determine that... I'm getting really, really confused now. What was I talking about?_

_I've decided to dye my hair red. I'm sick and tired of being called a blond (by my mom) so I'm turning into a redhead. Yup. People say it looks good and my mom said I had the right color for it, meaning I'm pale and I hate going out in the sun. I got a sunburn over the last summer vacation (on my legs)! Curse you Mandalay Bay! Well, it was actually my fault (because I don't really see the big thrill of playing in a big puddle of chemically-filled water with zillions of other people who have who knows what kind of communicable diseases... okay, the diseases part is just BS, but I hate swimming) so I sat in the kiddie part of the wave pool (and got knocked over a lot more than when I was out in the main wave pool...) and normally I don't put sunscreen on my legs, but that one time I should've! I still have that aloe goop my dad got me when I first noticed the burns. It was stupid. I was all 'why the hell does it hurt to walk?' and when I looked down, thinking I might've stepped on something, my legs and feet were red! I looked like a lobster from my thighs down. I hated it. And a tan is basically fried skin cells, so I don't like going out into the sun for prolonged periods of time. That's why I don't get why people will sit in tanning beds for hours on end. Don't you know you're at risk for skin cancer? Skin cancer runs in my family, so I've always been a bit paranoid... huh? What was the original topic? Oh yeah, my (now) red hair._

_Until chapter 8... of course, the downside is now that I have the new anime, I want to re-work the story to fit that one instead of the old anime and the movie. Perhaps I'll do that with TMM... or just start yet another story. I haven't finished any of the other ones! Not AEN, ALBE, TMM, or anything! I've been so focused on Godsend... but this is my biggest accomplishment! And it has (I think, not sure really, but it looks that way to me) the biggest fan base out of all my stories. Well, the whole trilogy, not just book one or book three or whatever, all three together._

_Oh, my sister says 'hi.' She's the one who gets all the scenarios run through, so of course she's all 'why are you beating up your character so much?' and 'stop changing my character's hair color all the time!' and things like that. I don't know, Onee Chan... I don't know. She said 'Why are you being such a masochist? You start blubbering if you crack your knuckles!' I don't cry when I crack my knuckles, she was just trying to prove a point... I think._

_Until chapter 8... this one was kinda themed to 'On The Wing' by Owl City... the 'I am floating away, lost in a silent ballet' part (mostly, at the end where Ed's 'floating' and whatnot… well, actually, the part with his automail breaking is from the Godsend music video I imagined for Gackt's Last Song...) I love that line... it's my favorite in the song._


	8. Forest

_8: Forest_

Something cold and prickly was jabbing his cheek. Edward sighed heavily and forced his eyes open, taking the blurry green mass that soon came into focus: grass. He pushed his hair out of his face and sat up, wondering why he fell asleep outside. He was supposed to have gone back in time or something like that...

"W-what the hell?" he mumbled.

All around him was a forest. He knew there were forest areas in Amestris, but he had been practically in the heart of East City. And... judging by the thickness of the surrounding foliage, he'd say he was deep inside the forest.

"Al... hey, Al, where are you?" he called. "Al!"

Something rustled in the bushes behind him. He quickly transmuted his arm into the standard blade and absently wished he had kept the cybernetics equipped with all those weapons.

"Hey, it's me!" Alphonse cried, waving an arm.

"Don't scare me like that," Edward sighed. He changed his arm back to normal.

"So... any idea where we are?" Alphonse asked, his voice wavering slightly.

"Uh...a forest? Honestly, I'm not sure. I'd like to say we're in Amestris, but I don't know..." Edward replied in a similar tone.

"How far back did we go?"

"Wasn't it supposed to be four hundred years? You'd think there'd be a city or at least a small town here or something..."

"Josie yelled at us... maybe we screwed something up?"

"That damn cockroach... he should've told us how to use the Hourglass properly!"

"Speaking of which, where is it?" Alphonse asked.

"You don't have it?" Edward replied.

"No, I thought you did," Alphonse shook his head.

"Then..." Edward started, anxiety gnawing at his core.

"That means..." Alphonse added.

"We lost it?" they cried in unison.

"Look for it!" Edward barked, leaping into a mass of bushes.

"It's got to be around here somewhere!" Alphonse screeched, running back to where he first woke up.

"Where could it go?" Edward raged, yanking handfuls of his hair.

"How did you lose it?" Alphonse demanded.

"Me?" Edward blanched. "Why didn't you hold onto it?"

"You're the older brother; show some responsibility!"

"Age has nothing to do with it!"

After a few hours of frantic searching and heated bickering, the two brothers fell back on the ground. No matter where they looked, they just couldn't find the Hourglass. Both had come up empty handed.

"How are we gonna get home now?" Alphonse whined.

"You think I know?" Edward replied sourly.

"Some prodigy you are," Alphonse scoffed, turning away from him. "Can't even keep track of a simple object."

"So... what do you think we should do?" Edward chattered. "You wanna start walking and see if we come across a town or something?"

"Might as well. Who knows what's lurking in these bushes," Alphonse agreed.

"I think I hear water somewhere. If we follow it, we might come across something," Edward said, sitting up.

Sunlight cut through the branches and leaves overhead, making them bright green. The ground was sort of soft and squishy, and the area smelled like it had rained recently. Alphonse grumbled as his foot sank into a puddle of mud. Through gaps in the branches they could see a bright blue sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, and a few black dots soared across the sky.

"No way..." Edward chuckled to himself.

"Something wrong?" Alphonse asked.

"C'mon, follow me," Edward said, quickening his pace.

"Brother, where are you going?" Alphonse asked, matching his brother's speed.

"I had a dream like this. Just trust me," Edward grinned.

"Brother, wait!" Alphonse cried as Edward took off running.

The blond vanished into a tangle of bushes. Soon after, he heard a yelp. He fought his way through the shrubbery, getting his arms and face scratched by thorns in the process. He emerged on the other side and felt the ground beneath him give way.

"Ouch..." Edward grumbled, spitting out a mouthful of muddy water.

"Oops, sorry Brother," Alphonse apologized, standing up and helping his brother out of the mud and muck of the riverbed.

"Ugh, that's so nasty. I look like I fell in a pile of crap," Edward grumbled, peeling off his shirt.

"Well, we found a river. Should we go with or against the current? Either way, we ought to find something..." Alphonse mused, glancing down the riverbed.

Edward scrubbed his shirt clean of mud and then did the same with his pants. Alphonse was lucky to only have gotten wet. He climbed back up the bank and reclined, waiting until his clothes were dry.

"We're going to go against the current, towards the source of the river. We can get help there," Edward decided.

"What? How do you know that?" Alphonse asked.

"Just trust me," Edward sighed.

"This isn't like you," Alphonse commented. "And why don't you just transmute your clothes dry like you usually do?"

"Because we've got nothing to do. Even if we get help, there isn't anything anyone can do until we find the Hourglass," Edward grunted.

"I found it!" Alphonse announced, slogging into the river and pulling the Hourglass out of the water. "Now what?"

"Guess we can get moving, then," Edward replied flatly. He wondered if Alphonse had found the object out of sheer luck, or if he had it all along.

"Are you sure you know where you're going, Brother?" Alphonse asked wearily after several hours of walking.

"It's just up a head, I'm positive..." Edward huffed. The walk had been a lot shorter in his dream. The Hourglass around his neck swung as he staggered forward. He was hungry and tired and getting more than a little irritated.

"We've been walking for hours now! Are you sure this is the right way?" Alphonse screeched.

"Look, it's the best lead we've got, alright?" Edward snapped.

_"You're almost there... just a little further,"_ a female voice laughed playfully.

"Please tell me you heard that too," Edward mumbled.

"You mean the ghost woman voice?" Alphonse muttered.

"Maybe we're dreaming..." the blond mumbled under his breath.

"Y-you think so?" Alphonse wavered.

"I said maybe..." Edward huffed.

_"Come on, you can't expect me to come find you myself. It just isn't proper for a woman to seek out a man,"_ the voice giggled. _"People would think I'm a slut in this day and age."_

"It's talking again..." Edward started.

"Shall we run?" Alphonse asked.

"Yes! I don't want to be alone with a ghost!" Edward wailed, launching himself forward. Alphonse wasn't far behind.

"Through there!" Alphonse pointed at a thick covering of vines. "I bet you twenty sens there's a cave we can hide in until the ghost goes away!"

The pair sped up and dashed for the vines, only to hit a stone wall face first.

"Brilliant idea..." Edward grumbled, holding his nose and wiping away the blood dripping from it. "Pay up."

"It seemed like a good idea..." Alphonse mumbled, fishing a few coins out of his pocket and tossing them to Edward. He gingerly touched the scrape on his forehead, wiping blood out of his eyes as it trickled down his skin.

"It was. It just wasn't our day..." Edward mumbled, tilting his head back to stop the blood from flowing. The two sat around and waited for their wounds to stop bleeding.

"Now what? The source is coming from behind the wall," Alphonse sighed. "There's a hole here, but it's big enough for... Brother, transform!"

"What?" Edward blanched. "You can't make me do that on command; I don't work in the circus!"

"This is your dream, right? Don't tell me you just sat here and waited for something to come eat you!" Alphonse barked. "Transform, now! The sooner we find out where the hell we are, the quicker we can solve the problem! Do you really want to stay here?"

"What are you doing?" Edward screeched as Alphonse grabbed his collar and throttled him. "Alright, I'll do it! Let go of me! I can't keep my promise if you strangle me!"

"I'll try to see if I can climb over the rock. Go as far down the tunnel as you can," Alphonse directed. He snatched the Hourglass from around Edward's neck and put it around his own.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" Edward scoffed before turning into his cat form.

This might not be the reason why, but he was still glad he had been made a chimera. He watched as Alphonse began scaling the wall, using the thick vines covering it for hand and footholds. The tunnel was small and dark, with a faint light far ahead. He recalled the time he invaded the fifth laboratory. Now he was really small... he grabbed his head in the agony of calling himself small. He had grown, but comments about his height still irked him. His ears twitched as the sound of rushing water grew louder the further into the tunnel he wriggled. He thought, over the roar of the water, that he heard someone singing. He couldn't make heads or tails of the words, but it was definitely a girl's voice.

A girl's voice... that was somehow familiar.

He sped up his scrambling and came ever closer to the end of the tunnel.

"Brother, are you in there?" Alphonse's voice echoed down the hole, making his ears ring. "I made it to the other side."

"Clearly," Edward grumbled as he crawled out of the hole and shook himself free of dirt and cobwebs. "But... now where are we?"

"You expect me to know?" Alphonse scoffed.

The brothers looked at their new surroundings, unsure of whether to be shocked or in awe. There was a massive waterfall flowing into an equally large pool. Large white flowers bloomed along the stone face beside the waterfall, the mist glimmering in the sunlight.

"Well, it's about time, you two," the voice said smugly.

"Who's there?" Edward demanded.

"Really, how rude," the voice snickered.

"Show yourself!" Alphonse added, getting into a fighting pose.

"Alphonse, I thought you had more manners than that. After all, you are the more polite one out of the two of you," the voice laughed.

Edward and Alphonse stood back to back, ready to attack should the owner of the voice jump them suddenly. A warm breeze blew strands of blond hair across Edward's face, blocking his view. He thought he saw something large move in the distance.

"Where are you?" Edward asked softly, more to himself than to the owner of the voice. Well, it was a girl's voice, so maybe it was safe to assume the owner was a girl. Then again... Envy had a feminine, if rough, voice but he was a man. Were there cross-dressers here, wherever here was?

"Come on, surely you can do better than that," the girl teased. Something struck Edward's face.

"Agh," Alphonse grunted as something slapped his face. He felt the scrape on his forehead start bleeding again.

"I've been waiting for you two for quite some time now. Don't tell me you don't know," the girl continued, this time slapping Edward's face.

"Dammit, quit hitting me!" the blond raged.

"Aw, but it's so entertaining," the girl giggled.

"Knock it off," Alphonse snarled.

"Al, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Edward asked coyly.

"Could be..." Alphonse agreed, catching on quickly.

"Here it comes..." the blond mumbled as the blur moved around them again.

"Ready?" Alphonse asked.

"Now!" Edward called. The two brothers clapped their hands and hit the ground. Blue light flashed as the ground was transmuted.

"Nyaa!" the girl cried.

"Got her!" Edward exclaimed.

"All right!" Alphonse punched the air.

"Ooh, how could you do that to such an adorable cat?" the girl whined.

"Now, let's see who you are, shall we?" Edward said smugly, sauntering over to the stone cage the two had transmuted.

"A... cat?" Alphonse asked, peering inside the cage and the brown mass of hair hunched over on the ground. The large cat ears twitched and the tail flicked angrily. "What, you mean like a chimera?"

"No, not really. Nice work. But then again, look at who I'm talking to," the girl laughed and stood up.

"No way..." Edward blanched, taking a step backwards. "It can't be... but you look just like..."

"Brother..." Alphonse started, his voice small.

"Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Alphonse Elric, Edward's younger brother and the Soulbound Alchemist. Or at least... that's what my future self's memories tell me."

The cat-girl looked up and smiled, her long brown hair falling over her green eyes. Her ears twitched as birds flew overhead and her tail waved like a flag in the wind.

"Brother, she looks just like Aislinn and Christin!" Alphonse hissed to his brother.

"Mmm, close, but no cigar," the cat-girl chuckled.

"Who... are you?" Edward asked, his voice wavering slightly.

"I'm a cat-spirit. This is the first time in over a hundred years that someone has been able to see me, let alone two genius alchemists," the girl smiled, walking up to the edge of the cage.

"My name is Elrin, and I believe you have my Hourglass."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__1-x-11: I'm so happy things have been set into motion. I've wanted to write this part since I got the idea back when I was still writing book two. I can't tell you all too many details yet, because it'll ruin the story. They'll be explained in the next chapter, so hang tight, okay?_

_Let's see... what can I talk about... ooh! I know! I watched a really interesting anime over the weekend. Anyone watch Hell Girl? Me and Cissy were talking about how when Ai says 'My name is Ai' people always say 'You're Hell Girl' and they just assume! We also decided that one of us will cosplay as Ai and when someone asks 'Who are you' we'll say 'My name is Ai' and then the other will say 'You're Hell Girl' and the one dressed as Ai will say 'No. My name is Ai. Weren't you listening?'_

_And I kept going on and on about wanting to see someone either pull the red thread before Ai explained the 'equivalent exchange' of the straw doll thing or not pull the string at all._

_Speaking of Hell Girl... Todd Haberkorn (Ling's voice actor) does the voice of a guy in Hell Girl. I don't know the guy's name, but his voice sounds almost like Ling's, so I'm sure you intelligent people can figure it out. The character, I mean. Obviously, I know Todd Haberkorn's name._

_I know I've put this in, like, three different stories already, but here it is for those of you who don't read my other stories, __.com/__ though I hope you'll read Horsefeathers. It's an AU story involving Roy as the main male character. I hope it satisfies..._

_I finally got more songs for Saru! I got Golden Time Lover (the third opening song from Brotherhood) so you can be sure I'll listen to that one more than twenty times in a row. I also got Ready Steady Go (from the old anime... well, actually, it's from their album Smile, but it's used for the second opening of the old anime) and some Linkin Park songs. LEave out All the Rest is a very important song for this book, so I really needed that one... and Hands Held High reminds me of Hughes and Roy (after Hughes' death) and it's made me want to draw a picture of Hughes. I'm definitely gonna put it on my DA account. You're Not Alone by Saosin is also a good song... kinda describes the relationship between Rin and Ash._

_I'm sure you've read this before, but I'm gonna move everything to my DA account. So no more website. Hey... anyone know a cheap way to get Ranma's outfit? Because I can cosplay her now that my hair's red... you can see a pic on my DA..._

_Well, until next time! You can't see, but I'm waving at you._


	9. Understanding

_9: Understanding_

_Darkness was the first thing that came to mind. Cold, empty, endless darkness. There was pain, but she didn't remember why it was there or where it had come from. She couldn't even tell which part of her was in pain. There were voices screaming, shouting, crying. They all sounded so far away, like they were behind closed doors. There were other noises too, something that sounded like a fire roaring. Metal moving or being moved, large, thick things being dragged across what was most likely a floor. Something warm and wet came into contact with her. She wanted to move but found she couldn't. There was a sudden pressure on her stomach and back. She wanted to cry, to scream out in pain and agony, but her throat wouldn't... couldn't... release the sounds. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, could hardly breathe and even thinking was becoming a chore. All she could do was exist, and even that seemed to be going downhill. She couldn't feel very well, but knew it was getting colder. Her legs ached to move, her body craving to get up and interact with the world again, but she simply couldn't._

_"We've got a live one here!" someone hollered, though to her they might as well have been whispering._

_"Get your hands off me!" another cried._

_She knew that voice... knew it very well._

_She felt her body move, though not of its own accord. That searing, blinding pain across her stomach and back appeared again, and again she found herself unable to voice that pain. Someone or something picked her up, lifted her off the ground as if she was dandelion fluff floating away in a warm spring breeze. Her arms and legs hung uselessly from her core, limb hunks of meat that refused to do anything of worth. Someone touched her face, slapped her, screamed at her. Through slitted eyes and blurred vision, she saw a mass of blue and grey. For a split second, the blurriness cleared and her hearing returned to normal._

_"Aislinn!" the man cried, tears running down his dirt streaked face._

_There was an explosion somewhere nearby. She gave in and let the darkness swallow her, body and soul. It soon bled into pure whiteness, a void of some sort. She stood before a large, foreboding door made of stone. A white figure sat in front of it. A grin slowly formed on its face._

_"Unfortunately, you can't give up yet. There are still some things you have to do," it snickered._

_Pain shot through her entire being as the doors swung open and countless black hands shot out and grabbed her. She was ripped from the void and sent hurtling through space and who knew what else. With a jolt, she opened her eyes. Something blue fizzled out of the corner of her eyes. She strained to turn her head and see what it was, but she couldn't. Her bones were arranged all wrong for some reason. Feebly, she reached out a hand in an attempt to righten herself._

_"Well now, this looks promising. That fool clearly didn't know what he was doing, but managed to succeed more or less. Not that it matters, I can still use you," a voice chuckled._

_She saw someone's feet approach her, and their knees as they bent down near her head. A pale hand was extended, about a dozed glimmering red rocks in the palm._

_"Open," the voice commanded._

_She opened her mouth to try to speak, but no sounds came out other than her ragged breathing. The rocks were poured into her mouth and automatically she closed and began chewing. They were crunchy and almost tasteless, though after she had swallowed her mouth tasted bitter. She felt better too, less disoriented and jumbled up._

_"Ais...linn..." a second voice, a familiar one, croaked weakly. It sounded as weak as she felt._

_"Damn, he's waking up already. I doubt you can stand, so I'll just have to carry you," the first voice snorted as it picked her up off the ground and walked away. Fatigue overwhelmed her and she fell into blackness once again as that familiar voice called her name._

"Aislinn!"

Aislinn shot out of bed and nearly toppled over onto the floor. Slender scarred arms caught her and steadied her, easing her back into bed. Though her own face was, she was certain, twisted in pain and confusion, she saw it breathing a sigh of relief.

"Geez, you really had me worried! I thought you were dying or something," Christin chuckled dryly.

"I was..." Aislinn muttered, covering her eyes with her arm. The metal of the prosthetic was cold and soothing against her flushed and sweaty skin. "I was remembering how I died."

"Oh... you know, I don't give the best advice but I'm a really good listener," her younger sister smiled gently. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here."

"I thought..." Aislinn started, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

"That I'd be sad and depressed?" her twin finished. "Honestly, I'd like to be, but if I felt like that Ed would think it was all his fault and that would make me feel worse. I sent the kids to school, so you better get up and get dressed soon. It's almost midday."

"How long has it been? I can't remember anything after they left..." she started lamely. It felt like she had slept for ages.

"Only two days. You passed out right after they vanished and have been snoozing ever since. If you don't get up and resume your normal life, the horrid feelings festering inside you will only get worse," Christin replied.

"You can't say you don't feel the same! I know you love Edward just as much as I love Alphonse!" Aislinn snapped.

"I never said I didn't. I said I'd like to _be _sad and depressed, not that I _wasn't_ sad and depressed. Just because I don't show my emotions doesn't mean I don't have them," the younger replied coolly.

She turned and folded her arms, addressing her older sister with a piercing glare.

"Now would be the perfect opportunity for us to learn these sorts of things about one another, wouldn't you agree, Sister?"

"I'll be out in an hour, provided you'll let me shower," Aislinn replied in a similar tone, terse but caring.

"One hour," Christin nodded once, confirming the time.

It had been years since Aislinn had recapped her death in such detail, but since that damned dream brought all those bad memories to the surface, why not? She had at least an hour to herself anyway. What was the harm in reminiscing a little?

"What happened after the transmutation?" she asked her self as she turned on the hot water and steam billowed in the tile room.

Oh, she remembered now. Well, they weren't exactly memories more than they were broken fragments.

_Envy appeared quite a bit, often feeding her handfuls of those red rocks... Red Stones, actually. Sometimes the fragments were light like it was daytime, sometimes they were dark like the night. Once in a while there was an orange tint to them, indicating what she assumed was either a sunset or a sunrise. Always, always, always were the Stones being scarfed, chomped, crunched, eaten and swallowed._

The first solid memory she had happened after about three dozen fragments played out in her memory.

_She had been sitting patiently in a chair, stuffing spilling out of the beaten green leather cover. Countless pictures covered the walls, masking the dull grey cement they were made of. She could hear a whirring sound coming from the back of the building. The book on her lap was heavy and reeked of ink and rubbing alcohol. She absently turned another page, her eyes dully scanning the images on the papers. Finally, one caught her eye: a black bird sitting on a bare branch._

"It's gone..." she mumbled, looking over her shoulder to the place where that tattoo had once been.

She scrubbed shampoo into her hair and wondered why she didn't notice it until now, why it had disappeared and how. Probably something to do with her transmutation into a Homunculus, no doubt. Soapy curls fell into her face as she piled her hair on top of her head and worked up a good foamy lather. The faint scent of flowers tickled her nose as she rinsed the frothy substance away in the warm water pouring from the shower head. Lilacs, her favorite.

Now the memories were more solid, and came sequentially... or would it be chronologically?

_An empty room, far too large for one person, decorated with expensive looking things caked in dust and cobwebs. The bedclothes were clean, at least, and were cool against her body. She heard the door open and close gently, though the hinges screamed horribly from years of disuse. Heavy footsteps thumped against the carpeted floor, making a strange sound._

_"Well, well, well, glad to see someone's finally rejoined the land of the living," Envy's voice snickered._

_She turned her head to see eerie purple eyes leering down at her, a large and smug grin on the face attached to the eyes._

_Normally, the first thing a person asks when they wake up and have no recollection of how they came to be unconscious is 'What happened?' Sometimes one might even ask 'Who are you?' But she didn't. Instead, she found herself asking..._

_"Who am I?"_

_"I suppose you have a real name, but it won't be of any use to you now. From now on, you are Deceit, alright sweetheart?" Envy replied. "I'm going to see if I can find you something to eat. You've been unconscious for almost three months."_

_"Three months?" she repeated when Envy had left. "And... how long before that? What happened to me? Where am I... who am I?"_

"Hey, don't use up all the hot water!" Christin's voice snapped as there was a sharp rapping on the bathroom door.

"S-sorry!" Aislinn called back, turning off the water. She sighed deeply and stood up straight. Maybe remembering that time wasn't such a good idea, if the memories could cripple her like that. She clipped her wet hair out of her face and dried off, wrapping a towel around her as she went to find something to wear.

"You okay? You look shaken up," the younger twin commented as the elder walked by.

"Just some unpleasant memories," the elder replied.

"Is it... or, are they... about you being a Homunculus?"

"Yes, they are. Would... would you be willing to listen?"

Christin laughed good naturedly. Aislinn knew she wasn't being laughed at. "I've been waiting years to hear that. I just made some tea, so get dressed and we'll talk."

Aislinn couldn't help the giggle that escaped her mouth when she heard her sister shout 'Whoopee!' as she trotted off to the kitchen. She was glad to have her around in the absence of her husband. It was comforting to have someone to talk to.

"Hey, Alphonse..." she asked the air as she rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a clean sun dress. "Is this what it's like to have the relationship you have with Edward?"

As expected, there was no reply. Still, as she was making her way to the main room, she could've sworn he answered her.

"Yes."

Aislinn jumped from the sudden voice, and felt stupid when she realized her sister was on the phone. The younger mouthed the word 'sorry' and continued talking to whoever was on the other end of the line.

"Great, thanks," she finished with a heavy, strained sigh.

"Something happen?" Aislinn asked, reaching for a chocolate-dipped cookie.

"Nah, just asking Winry to check on the animals once in a while. I wouldn't want to leave you here by yourself given the situation," Christin replied, stretching her arms. "All right, start talking."

"Just like that?" Aislinn asked, unsure of her sister's sudden open-minded attitude.

"Well, yeah. We're sisters, aren't we? We were supposed to have forged this bond aeons ago, but things went slightly awry..." here Aislinn snickered; things had gone more than awry," so we have to make up for lost time. Besides, this is girl talk and the guys would interrupt us twenty million times to explain something we've known for ages."

"I'm sorry; I guess I'm still a little weirded out about the fact that you're alive. I mean... I went almost twenty years thinking you died shortly after birth and to have you suddenly show up alive and well... it's a bit of a shock," Aislinn admitted.

"It's kinda different for me," Christin chattered, dipping a cookie in her tea and biting off the mushy part. "I always had horrible relations with my family and always wanted a sister who would understand me without having to explain everything in excruciating detail. It may be a shock to you, but it's a dream-come-true in a way for me."

"So I can just start?" Aislinn asked uncertainly.

Christin nodded and tucked her legs beneath her, facing her twin so she could give her full attention. "Whenever you're ready."

"The first thing I really remember was the accident. I remember being on a train headed for the city. Something went wrong and it crashed into the station. Everything went black for a while and when I woke up things were muted and fuzzy. I couldn't move, speak, even breathing was difficult. I was barely hanging on to my life, and then I suppose I died. Things were black again for a while, but they turned white and I was standing before the Truth and it said that there were still some things I had to do, so I couldn't give up yet. I was pulled through the Gate and awoke in a dark room. My body was very distorted and nothing seemed right. Then Envy appeared and fed me Red Stones. They don't taste as pretty as they look. From there it becomes scattered, but always the same. Me being fed the Stones at different intervals of time and always, always by Envy.

"After that, my first solid memory was of me asking him who I was. Not where I was or what happened, but who I was. He called me Deceit and took good care of me. It's a little fuzzy, but I think, at several point in time, I slept with him. I remember us kissing a lot, using each other to get through the long lonely nights. Sometimes it felt like I was his pet, and at others like I was the master. I quickly grew accommodated to manipulating others and lost what little emotions I had left. I became apathetic, heartless even. I had no reason to harbor emotions; they were useless things that made people suffer. Of course, they were the easiest things about people to twist and turn and completely distort. I began to see humans as weak and pathetic creatures, below even maggots and germs. All they seemed good for was mindless reproduction. Then I saw you for the first time, at the train station. Seeing you, an exact replica of the girl haunting my memories, sparked something within me. It was strange, alien, and I hated it. At the time I deemed it hatred. Here was this girl who looked almost exactly like me, parading around and living my life, which had been wrongly taken from me, and I hated you for it. But... looking back at it now, I see it as longing. A longing to return to being human, to live the life that you made seem so sparkly and shiny. You looked truly happy in the company of the brothers, and I was jealous. That jealousy spawned hatred and I began to hate you. I wanted to hurt you by stealing Alphonse because you two were so close, but you were already deep in love with Edward so it didn't matter much.

"It was because of Alphonse that I started feeling emotions again." Aislinn sighed and took a sip of tea, taking pleasure in the warm sweetness as it flowed into her stomach and made her feel better.

"That's pretty intense," Christin commented around another cookie. "Are you willing to continue or should we pick up at a later time?"

"That's enough for now," Aislinn replied, her voice wobbling as she spoke.

"Head up, young person," Christin said gently, lifting Aislinn's face and wiping away the few tears glistening on her skin. "You know what would happen if a certain someone caught you crying like this."

"I'm glad you're alive," Aislinn whispered.

"Me too."

Maybe their relationship would develop the way she wanted it too. They could recover all that lost time... those twenty-odd years lost to time. Aislinn desperately hoped so. If she could just be with that girl like this... that would be enough to keep her spirits up.

All it would take was a little patience and understanding.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__1-20-11: ah, I do love me some fluff chapters. It's so nice being able to write about the twins like this, since I never really got into their relationship before. The situation is absolutely perfect for it. It also allows me to focus on the brothers, who are in fact the main characters of the story; it's just that the twins factor into everything so much... ooh, I just got the most brilliant idea ever!_

_I finished reading The Hunger Games, finally. Actually, I've only had it for two days, but still. It was a great read and it's highly recommended! Of course, I had the misfortune to read Catching Fire (the sequel) before The Hunger Games, so I was all 'who are these people and what the hell happened that I don't know about?' and now I know. Now... to get my hands on the third book... muahahahahahaha... MockingJay... of course, it's given me an idea or two... I may use it in this story, I may not. We'll have to wait and see how things turn out, though the brothers' situation might be better suited for it. Hmm..._

_And, for the millionth time (really, it's only the third) since I first came up with the idea, I'll be re-writing The Military's Monster. Actually, the rebirth of that one came from my belated recognition (I think that's the word I'm looking for) of what Bluebird was for FMA. I'm always finding things out hella later than everyone else... because I live in my own little OC filled imaginary world. SO! Be on the lookout for a new... somewhat new... alright, not-really-new-but-still-new-as-to-the-changes-I've-made-to-the-damn-story-because-I'm-not-satisfied-with-how-it-was-the-first-two-times... story called 'Blackbird's Song' which will be taking the place of The Military's Monster, though I do like that title, so that can be the subtitle thing... 'Blackbird's Song: The Military's Monster' or something like that..._

_Well, and my writing keeps improving, so I wanna make it the best story possible. It's funny... if you read all of Godsend, you can see my growth as a writer from juvenile in book one to not-as-good-as-I-want-to-be-but-still-pretty-damn-good in book 3._

_I forgot that links don't show up here, so the link to my DA will be added to my profile... probably by the end of this week, assuming I remember. My apologies!_

_You know what's weird? I usually end up writing the bulk of the Areas before the chapter..._

_Alright, we get to see what happened to Aislinn that led to her being a Homunculus (it isn't capitalized in lots of other things, but I capitalize it because that's how I am and because of book 2, which I'm sure most of you have read if you're reading book 3). Train accidents are cool. Obviously, not if you're on the receiving end of a train wreck, but from a writer's perspective, they make for fantastic chaos scenes with lots of blood and crying and shit blowing up. There's a music video/song that can be paired with: Crawling by Linkin Park. It's totally about Aislinn and works so well with the story. I'm debating whether or not to put how Aislinn and Robin first met in here somewhere... maybe, since I do plan on making this story at least forty chapters long... well, probably, because we've all seen Ed and Al's story, at least, we better have (I mean, if you're reading this, you've obviously gotta have at least some knowledge of FMA), and I'm pretty sure most of Rin's has been in here at some point or another (if not, that can be fixed easily) so... yeah, it's Aislinn's past, she's the one we know least about, I'll add her past. And it'll help the twins' situation too..._

_Until chapter 10, may the odds be _ever_ in your favor! (Quote from Hunger Games... well, not the 'until chapter 10' part, but you get it) I think it's stupid how they say 'may the odds be _ever_ in your favor when they're sending you off to be slaughtered. Only a weirdo would be glad that the odds are in their favor if they're chosen in the reaping (maybe Rin, since she's so masochistic... and sadistic too, on occasion [see Robin's death in book 1] so maybe she'd enjoy being a tribute...)_


	10. Elrin

_10: Elrin_

"Elrin?" Edward repeated stupidly. What a strange name...

"May I have it back?" the cat-girl inquired politely.

"Have what back?" Alphonse asked.

"My Hourglass, of course. It did take a lot of time and energy to forge it, and I have been so distraught since it was stolen," she replied, offering a small smile. "I would very much enjoy it if you returned it to me."

"We'll give it back if you answer our questions," Edward decided firmly.

"Fair enough," Elrin agreed, nodding her head once. Edward noticed how absurdly long her hair was. It almost looked like a separate living thing. "What is it you would like to know?"

"Where are we? What happened? What year is it?" Alphonse asked.

"You are in what you call Amestris, though right now it is just the small kingdom of Amestria. Let me see... the year is... nine-hundred thirty-seven. My guess is, judging by your reactions, that you screwed up when using my Hourglass and went back too far in time. You were supposed to go..." she paused and began pacing back and forth, her tail twitching slightly. "Four hundred years, am I correct? That is to be expected of course, when inexperienced humans play with my toys. I answered them; give it back." She held out her hand and her ears perked up eagerly.

"Wait, how do you know all that?" Edward asked, holding up a hand as Alphonse stepped forward to return the hourglass.

"My visions. I am sure you noticed the physical resemblance but there is a mental and spiritual connection as well. I am certain you have been told that energy can only be used, broken down, and recycled, correct? The persona you know as 'Christin' is the same as the persona that is 'Elrin' whether you believe it or not. Souls are broken down and reassembled when a person dies. It is similar to the Eastern belief in reincarnation, but there is more to it. The mind, body and soul are all connected. Alphonse should know about the soul's compatibility with a vessel or body and how some vessels reject a soul that is not compatible better than you, Edward, for he was just a soul in a suit of armor... so my sources tell me, anyway. When a person dies, their soul is broken down and reassembled and then implanted in a new body, one that is compatible with the soul. The mind helps bind the soul to the body. I am certain that, if you really paid attention, you would notice that people you know now are similar in one way or another to people who have been long dead. Reproduction also factors into this. Parents give their offspring half of their DNA, half of their soul. The parent dies and the child grows up and has offspring of his or her own. That portion of the DNA from the parent is transferred into the new child, enabling a compatible vessel for a soul. The DNA... or I should say, the physical factor, is what makes a body compatible for a soul. A mind can bond with anything, essentially. Souls are tricky because there is so much making up a soul: likes, dislikes, habits, talents, speech patterns, tastes, sexual preferences, so on and so forth. Is this making sense?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh... more or less?" Edward replied.

"I can explain it again if you so require," Elrin offered.

"That's alright, just keep going. It sounded like there was more," Alphonse said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Very well. So, the souls and minds are reused, correct? That means that they can only be used in the same type of body. There are certain elements, unknown to man even in your time, that allow a certain mind and soul to bond with a body. That means the same mind and soul appear in similar bodies over the course of time. In this half-dimension, things begin to overlap somewhat. Just as I have a future version of my self, you two have past versions of yourself. Since the mind remains the same throughout, there are occasions where the two minds will merge. The future self has dreams of the past, or, some would argue, random dreams in which the situation took place in something resembling the past, and the past self has visions of the future. That is how I knew you were coming, and what went wrong. This also means that you have the possibility of running into your past selves. I cannot determine what will occur if that does happen, so it is best if we avoid such a confrontation," Elrin nodded firmly.

"So... what you're saying is that there is such a thing as rebirth, and that we can meet who we were in a past life?" Alphonse said, struggling to grasp the awesome concept. The sheer thought of being able to see who you were in a past life astounded him!

"Yes. Will you return my Hourglass now?" Elrin confirmed, sticking her hand through the bars of the cage and opening her hand.

"Hold on a second," Edward said. "There's a chance we can run into the people we were a thousand years ago? We were supposed to go back only four hundred! We went back six hundred years too far!"

"No shit, Sherlock," Alphonse spat.

"It's your Hourglass; can't you send us forward in time?" the blond asked, turning to the cat-girl.

"Mmm... I could, if you gave it back to me. You imbeciles clearly do not know how to operate it and got lost. I could teach you how to use it, if you would let me go and return it," she said snootily, holding out her hand again.

"Sounds good to me," Alphonse shrugged, clapping and touching the ground. The bars of the cage dissolved and Elrin approached them.

"You have my thanks. Instruction of the use of my Hourglass will take some time, but I believe there is a way to permit you to live in comfort until you learn enough to travel to the time you originally intended to visit," Elrin said, snatching the object out of Alphonse's hands.

"Live in comfort?" Edward repeated. "What do you mean?"

"You do look similar... your height and weight are a little less than his, but he is missing so we could fib and say he lost weight during the missing time... you hair is far shorter, but that can be explained as well, everyone gets their hair cut at one point or another... your arm is a problem, though. We do not have artificial limbs of such a high caliber in this day and age... your leg can easily be covered by clothing, but in the heat of summer it can cause problems..." Elrin rambled, walking around Edward and looking him up and down.

"What?" Edward asked.

"His hair... is not plaited. Plaited hair is typically reserved for girls," she continued, undoing his braid and tying it back in a simple ponytail.

"Alphonse, behind the large boulder closest to the water's edge is a bundle of fabric. Would you be so kind as to bring it here?" Elrin asked.

"Uh, sure," Alphonse replied, doing as she asked.

"Your clothing is far too modern. People will wonder where you have been to obtain such outlandish garments. Thank you, Alphonse," she smiled at the younger brother and untied the cord wrapped around the bundle.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked warily.

"I am attempting to solve your problem, you ungrateful cad. Here, put these on. I'll dispose of your modern clothing straight away," Elrin replied, pushing black and brown fabric into the blond's arms. "Alphonse, you will have to change as well. You two are not to leave this place; I will return momentarily. Please make sure you are properly garbed upon my return."

"Al, what are you doing?" Edward asked after Elrin had vanished.

"Following the best lead we have of getting back home. She said she can help us, and I'm gonna believe her. Think about it: if we fucked up this much going back in time, who knows how far into the future we'll land if we don't learn how to use the Hourglass? We could go forward two years or two hundred. Personally, I want to return to the present so I can live my life. And you know as well as I do that you made a promise," Alphonse said firmly, poking his brother's chest where his heart would be. "There'll be hell to pay if that promise is broken," he grinned mischievously, tugging on the shirt to expose the freshly made cuts on Edward's skin. Written on his chest, in very small writing, were the words 'You crossed your heart.'

"Of course she maimed me," Edward muttered, rolling his eyes. "I told her I'd come back, didn't I?"

"Try to see this through her eyes, Brother. Given your history, this should be normal," Alphonse sighed.

"Self-mutilation doesn't factor into history, and neither does carving something into my skin," Edward spat as he finished changing.

"Oh, yes, you look all the more like him now. Much better," Elrin clapped her hands.

"You! Explain what you're doing!" Edward snapped.

Elrin giggled and nimbly leapt down from the tree she was perched in, her tail curling happily.

"I am disguising you. There is a man here physically identical to you, though there are slight differences in your souls because you are the newer version. He has a companion physically identical to Alphonse, and a sister identical to... well, I suppose one could say she was identical to me, though her soul is the older version of Alphonse's wife. They have been missing for a little over four lunar cycles but who is going to complain if they suddenly return? Surely not his sister, who is waiting all alone in that dreary castle, nor his companion's acquaintances. If anything, there will be a feast with much celebrating and carousing. Until he returns, or you learn proper use of my Hourglass, whichever occurs first, you will act in their places. I am certain you can do that?" she finished, folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't see why not," Alphonse shrugged.

"If it gets us to the correct time, might as well..." Edward muttered. This was making less sense the longer it dragged on. Wouldn't this cause a sort of paradox or something?

"Excellent, so you accept my proposal!" Elrin said gleefully, clapping her hands together. "You will need these. It would be awful foolish for two grown men to be wandering around defenseless," she chattered, handing a long sword to each brother.

"But... we can use alchemy. We don't really need these..." Alphonse replied.

"Oh, I know that. It is all part of the game. In order to play properly, one must look the part. I advise you, however, to not use your 'alchemy' right away. People will become suspicious. Edward the Elder has no magic abilities and if he suddenly showed the ability to use magic... or 'alchemy' as you call it... on top of suddenly returning, it would be cause for a riot. The people of Amestria need to be kept ignorant of such things. Surely you two have seen what common men do with even a small bit of power," Elrin chuckled dryly.

They had, in fact, and far too much of it. So many wars and battles had been fought because people wanted power. Perhaps... people were just power-hungry like that naturally. They felt insecure when they weren't in control. Power gave them that security. It made them feel safe... and strong.

"Of course, I shall accompany you. You know next to nothing of the customs, let alone how this world functions. Even your speech is different from mine. Looks like I will have to teach you two quite a bit about... everything," Elrin sighed.

"This is just getting weirder and weirder," Edward muttered under his breath.

"She is out taking a walk, so we can meet her soon. If we leave now, we should be able to gain enough distance to make the meeting seem accidental..." the cat-girl mumbled, biting her nail thoughtfully.

"Who? What are you rambling about now?" Edward demanded. He didn't like this girl at all, talking about things that made no sense. It was almost like... well, he could've seen that coming. After all, wasn't Elrin just Christin's soul, only a thousand years ago? It did seem a little far-fetched, even if he took into consideration all the freaky stuff that had happened recently.

"Ethelfleda, of course. Who else would I be talking about? You really should have brushed up on your history, silly boy," Elrin laughed.

"I still don't get it..." he sighed.

"I apologize for this," Elrin said.

"For what?" Alphonse asked.

Edward was struck in the back of the head with a blunt object before he even had time to register the sound of something heavy dropping to the ground.

* * *

"Man... my neck hurts like hell," Alphonse groaned.

"What the hell..." Edward mumbled, rubbing his eyes. His own neck throbbed in pain as he forced himself to sit upright. He brought a hand to it and began massaging the sore muscles.

"Where'd she go?" Alphonse asked, looking around.

"Looks like we've been played," he chuckled dryly, shaking his blond bangs out of his eyes.

"Actually, you are playing. You must act as if you have lost your memory. That is the only way Ethelfleda will believe our little game. Enjoy yourselves," Elrin's voice laughed from the surrounding trees. Edward thought he heard a bell tinkle.

"I'm covered in mud," Alphonse complained, rubbing the dried muck off his face.

"Looks like a storm," Edward mumbled, looking at the sky. Thick grey clouds rolled around overhead and thunder rumbled in the distance.

"More likely it just passed. The ground's still all soft and mushy," Alphonse said, prodding the ground with the toe of his boot.

"Now where are we?" Edward asked. They were in a thick forest and it didn't look like there was a definite way out.

Thunder tore open the sky and rain began falling in icy sheets that penetrated his clothing and made his hair stick to his face unpleasantly. Lightning flashed and lit up the area. A flock of birds swiftly flew into the trees, seeking shelter from the sudden storm. In the bushes just in front of them, something large moved, making the plants rustle angrily.

"What was that?" Alphonse asked timidly.

"A bear?" Edward asked in a similar tone. Slowly, he began inching away from the bushes. There was rustling behind him too, so he stopped and sat frozen on the ground.

He couldn't see well with the rain and his bangs blocking his view, but he thought he saw something resembling a person in the bushes ahead. Alphonse made a small scared sound and Edward felt something sharp and cold touch the nape of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. Was he going to die? Would some savage tribe kill him and eat his corpse?

"What shall we do, My Lady?" a gruff male voice demanded. Alphonse made another sound, this one sounding close to whimpering.

"Hold..." a female voice said strongly. "It could not be... but the body... the hair..."

"My Lady?" a second man asked.

Edward watched as a young girl emerged from the bushes ahead. Her long brown hair hung in curly wet clumps, occasionally lifted by the cold wind steadily blowing. In one hand she held a long sword, the sharp metal glinting dangerously in another lightning flash. In that one heartbeat of lightning, he saw her eyes widen in shock and fear.

"Stand down, men!" she commanded.

Edward released a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding when the tip of what he guessed was a sword left his neck. He heard Alphonse give a similar reaction. The girl approached him, squatting down on the ground to get a closer look at him. She looked almost exactly like Aislinn; the only visible difference apart from the clothes was that this girl didn't have an Ouroboros tattoo-shaped scar on her forehead.

"Little brother?" she asked uncertainly, her sword dropping to the ground.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 1-30-11: now things are getting moving! I really like Elrin's explanation of the whole 'soul-mind-body-compatibility' issue. It sounds so smart coming from me... maybe I just like FMA that much that I can explain how a soul can be compatible with a body... I dunno._

_Elrin... I want to make her creepy. I like creepy characters... I mean I like creating characters that act creepy (i.e.: blank stares into nothing with wide eyes, randomly showing up and scaring people, things like that) because it's interesting. I'm not sure if I'm gonna make her gory-creepy (like she hunts down people and eats their livers while they're still alive) or if she's gonna be just regular creepy (stays up late and scares people who come downstairs for a glass of water) but I want to make her creepy! I know, I'm weird..._

_I have a new favorite song: Golden Time Lover from FMA: Brotherhood. I listen to it all day when I'm at school. I really enjoy taking songs from FMA (the full versions, not just the minute and a half from the opening or closing) and extending the... I call it a music video but the images that are playing on the screen for the opening or closing... images to fit Godsend. It works really well with Golden Time Lover, for book one because I keep picturing Deceit. I drew her last night. It's been a while since I drew characters from book 1..._

_Speaking of drawing Godsend characters, I'm making music videos... well they're really just comics... I guess they're like storyboards? I take a song and put pictures with it from the parts of Godsend that were influenced by it. I'm almost done with 'I'm Not an Angel' from chapter 59 of book 2... It's so depressing... but I love the way I'm drawing it. The 'present' (where Ed is all doom-and-gloom and Rin's all emo) is in black and white with flashbacks in color. It'll be on my DA account when I finish it, so please check that out when it's done!_

_I hate typing the speech for the characters in Amestria. I'm not sure how to make it sound archaic without going Shakespeare on you all, so I'm leaving out contracted words like "I've" and "we'd" and "would've" and things like that, and making it sound more formal, so the only slang words you'd hear in Amestria (I write it as Amestria but for some reason read it as America...) would come from Ed and Al, though I'm thinking about having Elrin pick up some of that from her visions and the boys... Any help with archaic speech would be most welcome!_

_Oh, since I probably have like... one person who reads these obnoxious Areas, I want to make sure you all know about the Godsend OVA's I've started. I stole the title of my author's notes for the title of the story, so go read _Godsend: Area 51 1/2_ to read some slightly stand-alone stories featuring the Godsend characters. They're really long, though, because they're supposed to be like movies. I really like the first one and really want to get back to work on the second, but book three has to come before OVA 2! And HF... I'm working on that one in bits and pieces, so things for that story will probably pick up as I get closer to wrapping up Godsend (the three OVA's [one for each book, respectively] will get done when they get done because I've already finished books 1 and 2 so the three OVA's should be done rather quickly) I call them OVA's but they're not really. Well, maybe a little... tell me if that makes sense or not._

_I'm getting the feeling that these absurdly long Areas are annoying to read. But I want to talk about things (that sounded so stupid...)! Anyway, most of the crap I put in the Areas is related to the story... like extra notes and background info and stuff like that. Is it such a crime to want to discuss these things with my readers? Besides, most of the stuff is really important (like how I explained the voices that one time) so I have to write these. And when I write about my personal life, I'm just trying to let you all get to know me. I don't want to be some invisible writing machine attached to a computer! I'm a real person, I swear! Go ask The Russian Roulette, she knows... she'll vouch for me!_

_Until next time...!_


	11. The One Closest to My Heart

**My friend's dad passed away recently.**

**So I'd like to dedicate this chapter to him.**

**I'm glad I had the honor of knowing you, even though it was a brief period of time.**

**For Charles**

* * *

_11: The One Closest to My Heart_

"You came back in one piece," Aislinn commented.

"What gave it away?" Christin asked dryly. "I went shopping. It's not like I went out to save the world."

"Again," Aislinn added with a grin.

"Why do I have to fix everyone's problems? It's just not fair," the younger twin pouted, slumping over on the table. "My life's been bad enough."

"You sure have seen rough times. I can only imagine what it was like before you showed up here," Aislinn mused into the pot of stew she was stirring.

"It wasn't that bad, really. I just didn't like it. I was warped and refused to see things clearly. Instead of finding the light I chose to wallow in darkness. Eventually, I started drowning," Christin replied distantly, resting her chin in her hand.

"Is that so?" the elder inquired, turning off the heat and letting the mixture simmer for a while. She grabbed her coffee cup off the counter and joined her twin at the table.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to feel so horrible that you want to kill yourself?" Christin asked softly.

"I'm sorry, I don't," Aislinn answered sadly with a shake of her head.

"Trust me, you don't want to. Those feelings of guilt, worthlessness, failure... they're crippling. My former family was hardly demanding, but I couldn't even meet the simple expectations they set out for me. I felt like I was disappointing them, that I was a horrible human being for not being able to accomplish anything of worth. They just wanted me to be a respectable person, and I couldn't even do that. It hurt," Christin sighed.

"I couldn't meet their expectations, and my self esteem plummeted. I began to think how rotten I was, how useless. Those thoughts festered inside me and flared up anytime I disappointed someone in some way. It's not like I was trying to disappoint them; I was doing my best. The more I failed to meet their expectations, the more my heart froze over. I became distant and cold to everyone, even my family. My heart had turned to ice, and I was incapable of feeling emotions. I didn't want to; I had finally numbed the pain I was causing myself. I enjoyed it, really. Not being able to feel, so there was no more guilt, no more regret or anything like that... but I also stopped feeling happiness. High school was no better. In fact, things only got worse. Eventually, my icy heart shattered and I tried to kill myself. I was failing some classes and my parents were upset. I couldn't take it anymore, so I picked up a broken needle and used it to make scratches on my skin. I absolutely hated myself for being that way... for being so weak.

"It helped, the physical pain. The erased the emotional pain tearing me apart. Because of my distant and icy heart, I had run away from my emotions. They had been locked up for so long and when I finally started to get a bit of feeling back, I didn't know how to handle it. So I cut, pain for pain," she continued, taking a large gulp of coffee.

"That's horrible. But you're better now, right?" Aislinn asked.

"Yeah, Ed and Al helped me a lot. Al's kindness and caring is so damn contagious... and Ed... he's capable of caring, if only he'd get rid of that macho attitude of his. But... all the same, that's part of why I fell in love with him. He didn't want anyone to worry about him, so he did his best to be strong. I admired that. I wanted to be like that," Christin chuckled softly.

"And all that happened in a world... without alchemy and magic? Damn, imagine what kind of hell you'd have gone through if that happened here..." Aislinn muttered.

"Of course, things went wrong here too. I was raped, captured, experimented on, all sorts of stuff... but I'm still alive. Many, many times I asked myself why I was alive. I couldn't find any real reason to keep going, but I still went. Then... one day... I asked myself: 'Why am I alive? What is my purpose? Am I alive only so I can suffer? Or so I can die?' And the answer came to me, glowing brilliantly like the sun. I had been drowning in the darkness I had cast myself into, but he managed to pull me out of it and forced me to look at the light.

"I hated the light, because it only enhanced the fact that I was stained by darkness. I recalled the dream I'd had when I was younger: to make people happy through comics, like I had been made happy. That was my newfound reason for living... my answer... so I could make him happy. When he was happy, I didn't feel so horrible. I actually began to like myself again," she smiled into her cup, watching her reflection on the glossy surface of the coffee.

"I fought off my darkness and chose to walk in the light, guided by my golden haired redemption," she finished warmly.

"So... Ed saved you?" Aislinn asked.

"No... I think it's more like he helped me save myself. He showed me the kind of person I wanted to be... I could become. I stopped wallowing in my pain and self-pity and forced myself to face forward. That's... the only real way to live a life, facing forward."

"I wish we had grown up together, so I could've helped you through your troubled times. I feel so... lame," Aislinn sighed.

"But you're here now, to help me through this tough time," Christin smiled.

"Mom, we're back!" Ai's voice rang as the front door opened and slammed shut.

"I'm hungry!" Dusk whined.

"Me too!" Dawn jumped in.

"You two are such pigs," Tobias chided.

"Just like you're helping me, I'm positive I'm helping you. I could've easily returned to Resembool with my kids, but I chose to stay with you," Christin continued, laughing at the forming argument between the children about who was more of a pig.

"I know that. Because you didn't want to leave me all by myself," Aislinn rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Well, yes, that. But... I'm also here because I want to be with you. I want to know you better than I do. We've missed out on twenty years or more and need to make up for lost time, don't you think?" the younger twin asked, taking one of her own twins in each arm and setting them on the table.

"Absolutely!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Absolutely!" Dusk echoed.

"I could have a million boyfriends or children or husbands, not that I would, but I'll only have one sister. More than Ed, more than Al, who have known me longer..." Christin chattered.

Aislinn picked up the infant Santi as she crawled into the room. The babe cooed and reached for her curly hair.

"The one who should be closest to my heart is you. We're twins, and we have a special kind of relationship," Christin finished.

"You're awfully prophetic today, aren't you?" Aislinn snickered.

"Sticks and stones, twin," Christin sassed.

"Oh, come on," Aislinn laughed, rolling her eyes. "You, more than anyone, knows that is not true at all."

"Well, I had to say something. I hate when other people have the last word," the younger sneered, sticking out her tongue.

"Honey, you've got to stop that. Your children are more mature than you are," Aislinn chided.

Christin's mouth flapped open and closed like a fish's would if it was left in the open air.

"Potatoes," she said lamely.

"Great comeback," Aislinn giggled.

"It wasn't a comeback; it was a curse word," Christin mumbled.

"Either way, you're still..." Aislinn said, amusement in her voice.

"Say stupid and you're dead," the younger twin hissed poisonously.

"My dear sister!" Aislinn cried, lunging for her twin.

"Easy! Easy! Careful! OW!" Christin yelped as they fell onto the floor.

"Alright you two, enough goofing around," Ai chided.

"Get up and act like the adults you're supposed to be," Tobias added with a grin.

"No, I think I'll stay on the floor, thank you very much," Christin said awkwardly.

"Your limbs gave out, didn't they?" Aislinn asked dryly.

"Yeah..." the younger twin admitted. "I can't even move my arms."

"Why don't you just use your 'magic' to get up and stuff?" Tobias inquired.

"Because that was what made me like this in the first place. I abused my power and now I'm paying the price."

"Well, actually it was Ed's power, right? Blame him," Aislinn replied as she pulled her sister onto her back.

"Like it's my fault he grew up weirdly. You heard the cockroach: 'You have a foreign substance in your body that made you grow up differently. That's why you didn't have your Godchild power from the beginning.' If you ask me, the one to blame is the cockroach," Christin spat.

"Hey, careful. You're blaming a god," Aislinn said sharply.

"But that 'god' is the reason things are like this. If he had just left us all alone..."

"We would never be here now. You would probably be dead and I'd be either dead or a Homunculus still. Ed and Al would still be back in Germany and everyone would be absolutely miserable," Aislinn huffed, letting her twin slide off her back and into a chair.

"Misery... one of my best friends along with Pain and Suffering," Christin said wryly.

"You're strange, you know that?" Aislinn commented stiffly.

"So I've been told. Hey, what happened to Hao?" Christin replied.

"He said he had something to do in town," Tobias replied.

* * *

"I don't know! He left a while ago!" Hao cried, cradling his swollen cheek in his hands.

"You imbecile. I told you to keep an eye on him!" a voice raged.

"I'm sorry," Hao sobbed. Hot tears stung his eyes and clouded his vision. He could just barely make out the figure of his attacker as he slowly approached the beaten boy.

"Apologies will get you nowhere!" the attacker snarled, shoving the boy. He staggered back into the wall and sank to the ground. The man stomped on one of his legs. The bone snapped and Hao screamed in pain.

"But I found them! I got rid of the men!" Hao insisted, grinding his teeth against the searing pain in his leg. His other leg was broken similarly and he screamed again.

"That's why you're no longer needed," the man sneered pridefully.

"No... no, James, please! No!" Hao cried.

A single shot echoed in the empty room. Blood dripped out of Hao's mouth and down his nose, drawing attention to the gaping hole there. His eyes glazed over and his body became limp, falling to the cold stone floor lifelessly. Not that he cared anymore; he was dead now.

"Hmph, easy. Not even worth my time," James chuckled to himself, wiping his shotgun clean and putting it back in it's holster.

He grabbed the cadaver by the collar of the shirt and dragged him to the door, kicking it open and entering the kitchen. He grabbed a knife, well-used but well cared for, and proceeded to skin the body. He put the boy's clothes back on and dragged the boy outside.

It was dark now, and this particular part of town was poorly lit, being the back roads behind a string of factories. A thin stream of smoke slowly curled towards the darkened sky, ghostly pale against the blackness. A stray cat hissed warningly as the man sauntered past before darting away among the trash cans filled with partially decomposed and half-rotted waste. Twenty minutes of walking later, the sound of rushing water reached James' ears.

"Nothing personal on your part. You just had bad luck, kiddo," he mumbled to the body.

Easily, like picking up a pillow, he lifted Hao's lifeless body and tossed it into the Marl River. It landed with a satisfying splash and in the dim light of a forgotten streetlight, the glass caked with a decade or more worth of dirt and grime from the pollution caused by the factories, he watched it float away and vanish beneath one of the many bridges crossing the body of water that ran through all of East City.

"On my part, however, it's highly personal," he smirked.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began making his way back to the building.

"My big brother, ruthlessly killed... by a 'goddess' no less. What a laugh riot! The ignorant masses overlook her crimes, say they were part of her 'serving her country' when she doesn't even really belong here! She's an outsider... an alien... a freak of nature... an abomination. She's got the whole damned nation wrapped around her little fingers. I won't be fooled, however. I know better than that..." he mumbled to himself as he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the floor of his room.

He turned to stare at a collection of newspaper clippings tacked to the far wall. They were old, by at least ten years, and faded by the sun. Most of the pictures were black and white, but there were a few colors he could make out from the colored ones. A streak of purple hair here, red lips over there... and those eyes... Eyes were the window to the soul, right? He hated her eyes, bright green and sparkly, though in some pictures they seemed brown or blue. He could see the pain and sadness she was hiding behind those eyes, behind her silly smile and long, unruly hair. There was one picture that caught his eye more than the others.

"You... and the 'you' that you so desperately wish you could become. She's everything you aren't: gorgeous, lithe, charming, and above all... smart. It's so easy to see who the evil one is among you two, even just by looking. The hair alone sets her apart, elegantly curled. Naturally curled, one of the things I liked best. Her beauty wasn't faked or forced like yours so often is. But then again... that's why she isn't at the top of my list," he licked his lips, and traced the edge of the picture.

He burst into laughter.

"Aislinn isn't on my list at all! She's the only one who shares no blame! The only one who is pure... unharmed by your dirtiness and ugliness. One day... when my plans are complete... she'll be mine again. I won't be your 'ex' anymore, will I, my dearest? Of course not, because I'll make you my bride."

James unbuttoned his shirt and fell back on his bed, staring at the ceiling fan as the light flickered a bit. He folded his arms behind his head.

"It's alright that you're not a virgin anymore. That means you'll know how to please me. And unlike your current husband, I'll be sure to give you a son. That guy is far too gentle to father any sons... pathetic, really. Almost takes away from his manhood..." he grinned at the ceiling, at the spider creeping across its web to devour a fly.

He watched as the predator ate the prey, enjoying the simplicity of it. The weaker one lost; that's all there was to it. No tricks, no games, just the natural order.

"For the wrongful death of my older brother, you are sure to be damned..." he cackled. He sat up and leered at the newspaper clippings.

"Christin Elric..."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 2-3-11: Um... the subtitle that goes with this is "We lost so much to time, but you can make up for it by being with me... just because you want to." Something about how the twins didn't grow up together, but are still able to talk and act as if they had. I mean (that last sentence sounded kinda stupid) uh... they didn't grow up together, but at least they can grow old together... 'No matter where you lived or what you've been through, you're still my dear sister, my best friend, the one who carries part of my heart in your hands.' I think... What I'm trying to say is that they don't really have any secrets. They can talk about anything and aren't ashamed to act strangely around one another. This doesn't sound as good as it does in my head... but then again, things never do when I type... I curse Gaku-tan (my laptop)..._

_Maybe... I'm just typing whatever pops into my head here, so please bear with me... they're both thinking 'someone who will be with me... for me alone... and not demand or expect anything other than what I have to give' or something similar to that._

_Because the two sets of siblings are separated for once in their hectic lives, I'll be alternating between chapters which set is being written about. It'll be one chapter about the brothers, one about the twins, one about the brothers, one about the twins, so on and so forth. Just to keep things interesting and so there aren't any gaps in the story. I want y'all to get the full story, not just Ed and Al's side or just Rin and Ash's side. Every time I write 'Ash' I want to write it as 'Ashe' but I don't want there to be any confusion between Aislinn and the Ashe from FF 12 (not that that's really possible, but you never know...) Besides, I think they're about as different from one another as rain is from potatoes. But I haven't played 12 yet (still working on X-2 [for the second time, because all my data from the first time I played it was erased] and getting close to nowhere because it's been so long since I played, even with the strat guide...) I love the dresspheres in X-2. I wish I could change outfits like that. I also started X... but that data was erased too, so I have to start all over again! Actually, most of my RPG data was erased... only my Xenosaga stuff stuck around (but I'm stuck at this one part in the first one and haven't bothered to continue playing the second... I have all three...) and I'm really upset that I had to start Radiata Stories over again! I love that one... Jack is awesome... I want the books they made about it (Epic of Jack and Song of Ridley) Ridley reminds me of Shinku a bit... from Rozen Maiden... Peach Pit does great work. I need to read volume ten of Shugo Chara! Wargh! But I heard that there was some sort of illness that caused the delay of the manga... feel better!_

_Everyone's getting sick lately! One of my friends got the flu, another one is getting sick as well... it's a freakin' epidemic!_

_I really like writing (I type it as writing but read it as drawing... I'm so bizarre) about the relationship between the twins. I don't normally like sibling relationships (my brother and I dislike one another), but I really enjoy theirs. Both have seen tough times, but they can help each other through it! That's what the title refers too, how their hearts are growing closer because of the separation from the boys. Well, and everyone knows what happened to Ed and Al, so now it's time to learn about the girls! I enjoy writing about the past... flashbacks and past stories are always fun. Especially when you mess with them (the characters). It's really easy to write about Rin (especially when she talks about being warped and suicidal and stuff) because I can relate to her the most. The one that's hardest for me to understand is Alphonse. I have a hard time writing from his perspective because he's all 'light and sunshine disperse the darkness' and everyone else is so... the only word I can come up with is 'fond' for some reason... Like... Alphonse's motto is 'Shadows and darkness can only be created if there's light.' and everyone else's is 'My friend, the darkness.'_

_It's a weird relationship. I'm almost 80% similar to Rin, about 75% similar to Ed, 52% similar to Ash... so Alphonse and I have the least in common (like... 24%?). We like cats, that's about it. I'm sure there's more in common than I think, but all I can think of right now is that we both love cats. Not that he's a bad person or anything, we just wouldn't be very compatible in real life. I'm 'doom-and-gloom' and he's 'it's gonna be a bright, bright, bright sunshiny day' or something... This is starting to sound strange. Sorry about my weird sentences._

_So, my friend's dad died recently, in case you ignored the dedication at the top. He's the first person I've known to die. Well, my mom's mom died too, but I was too little to really remember anything about her. I'm still confused, like I'm not sure what to feel. This hasn't happened to me before, so I'm a little muddled..._

_By the way, the chapter title doesn't directly refer to him. I had chosen that title before he passed on, but it works well for what's going on in real life. Everything seems to be falling apart lately... I hope things get better. I mean, Rae (another friend of mine) is transferring schools because people at our school hate her for some reason, my best friend and I can't graduate with our class, and now there's the death on top of everything... all I can think of to say, really, is 'life sure knows how to keep a girl on her toes...' considering what's been going on recently._

_And on top of all that, I think I'm getting sick! My nose won't stop running no matter what!_

_Uh... James is... creepy. I like writing weird and creepy things, so I like James for that reason. It's kinda like a rehash of Scar and his brother. I wanted to put Scar in Godsend somewhere, but the story wouldn't let me, because he died. It made me sad, when he died. I didn't cry like I did... well, actually, I sobbed myself silly when Ed died, but I did get teary when Scar died._

_So! The driving force behind the twins' arc has been revealed! And Hao had to die for it, because of the production costs (meaning I can't keep track of everyone, even though the two pairs of siblings are split up...)_

_My next Area will be lots shorter, promise! See you in chapter 12!_


	12. Brother

_12: Brother_

"Little brother?" the girl repeated, getting closer to Edward.

"W-what?" he floundered.

"It is you, is it not, little brother?" she pressed, getting even closer. "But... you must be. Your eyes, your hair... even that scar above your right eye..."

Before he could blink, the girl threw her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Edward had been kissed before, countless times, but he definitely had not seen that coming. He... had been anticipating an interrogation, actually, not an emotional reunion.

"Oh, I am overjoyed that you have returned!" the girl breathed as she pulled away, smiling warmly at him.

"A-Al?" Edward asked, glancing at his brother for help.

"You!" the girl snarled, picking up her sword and pointing it at Alphonse. He made a scared sound in response. "You are the reason my brother has been missing for five moons! Explain yourself at once!"

"My Lady, do not be rash. You know as well as anyone else, if not better, how trusted a companion Alfonse is to the prince!" a man with short black hair interjected. "Would he have been allowed to leave the castle with only this man if he had been deemed otherwise?"

"Once again, you have proven your worth, Troy. It is my folly to think of my brother's most trusted companion in such a manner," the girl nodded, sheathing her sword.

"Uh..." the brothers mumbled at the same time. Too much was happening too fast.

"What ails you, my brother? Why do you not call me by name or greet me warmly?" the girl asked, looking deeply hurt.

_"You must act as if you have lost your memory. It is the only way this game can be properly played,"_ Elrin's voice echoed in his head.

"I-I'm sorry... I can't remember too well..." Edward stammered.

"See, we hit our heads, and when we came to, we didn't really remember much," Alphonse added, quickly catching on. The part about hitting their head was true, at least.

"We knew our names, but that was about it, right?" Edward asked, turning to Alphonse for confirmation.

"Nothing else... not the customs, the language, not even our location... came to mind," Alphonse nodded for emphasis.

"It's probably not what you wanna hear, though," Edward sighed what he hoped was sadly. Acting wasn't his best skill. He was about as good at acting as he was sculpting (without alchemy): worse than awful.

"You lost your memory? My, that is something terrible..." the girl mumbled, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"My Lady, perhaps it is best to return to the castle. It matters little that their memories are not correct. The prince has finally returned," the second man, with short spiked black hair despite the steady rain, commented. He pushed small circles of glass bound in wire up his nose. They were a form of glasses, Edward realized.

"Yes, you are right, Cain. My thanks. Return ahead of us, send word to our father: Edward the Elder has returned home," the girl smiled at the four men.

"Of course, My Lady," Cain nodded and vanished into the bushes.

"Troy, you will escort us back, at a leisurely pace. Once more, I have the pleasure of teaching my beloved brother the ways of our world," the girl smiled again.

"Yes, My Lady," Troy nodded, his black hair sticking to his face.

"I am called Ethelfleda. I am the oldest sibling of our family, a few suns older than you. There was an Edward born after you, but he died barely days after his birth. You were very upset about the issue. That is why you are called Edward the Elder. This is Troy, one of my bodyguards and one of Father's best knights," the girl, Ethelfleda, gestured first to herself then to Troy. The man grunted in response.

"Brother..." Alphonse whispered. "Troy reminds me of Mustang."

"I noticed that too," Edward whispered back.

"He reminds you of someone? That is excellent! You must remember something after all!" Ethelfleda clapped her hands together and stood up. "Come, we must return home. Father will be so pleased you have finally returned. You... do not recall the reason you were absent for five moons, my brother?"

"Nope," Edward replied stiffly.

"No matter. Shall we be on our way?" she gestured at the forest ahead of them. The rain eased into a steady drizzle as the four traipsed through the woods.

Ethelfleda explained how Edward was next in line for the throne in the case that their father, the king, passed away. He supposedly led many successful military campaigns, bringing all the tribes of Amestria into a truce and uniting the land for the first time in centuries. She then talked about the castle that was their home: a large stone structure thirty times the height of a man with dozens upon dozens of chambers all built around a central courtyard with four grand dining halls, ten stables, a hunting grounds, and a private church reserved for the royal family. There were six siblings in total, with Edward being the oldest son. The youngest, also named Edward, died during infancy due to an illness. That apparently happened when he was 'ten suns of age', which he took to mean ten years old. He figured that 'moon' meant month, because the moon waxed and waned in a month, and that 'sun' meant year, because the planet took one year to orbit the sun.

"I am the oldest, followed by you. Then comes Ethelgifu, who is rather sickly and is often ill. She is followed by Elfthryth, but she is called Elfy by those close to her like you and myself. Last, we have darling little Athelward, the youngest sibling and second son. Of course, there are two others in line for the throne before you: Athelwold and Athelhelm, our cousins ten suns older than you and sons to our father, King Alfred's older brother Athelred. It is a very perplexing situation for you. Our father is King, and you are the rightful heir, but their claim on the throne is more... potent than yours," Ethelfleda sighed.

"Sounds confusing," he chuckled dryly. "I don't know if I can keep track of all that. You laid it on pretty thick."

"I laid what on?" she asked innocently.

Edward bit his lip. He'd have to be careful when he spoke. Not only would no one understand his modern language, but he and Alphonse just might be found out. Hell, he was pretending to be a prince! He'd probably get beheaded if he was found out!

"Never mind. How far is the castle?" he chattered.

"Not far. You will know it when you see it, little brother," Ethelfleda grinned.

"Easy..." Alphonse warned, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. The blond ground his teeth together. He wasn't sure that he could pull this off if he was called 'little brother' every other time he was spoken to.

"Things are going well," Elrin commented, falling into step next to them.

"What the hell did you get us into?" Alphonse hissed lowly, so no one other than Edward could hear.

"I am saving you. If you keep this up, you will be able to live in comfort until you learn about my Hourglass and continue with your mission. Just do exactly as I say, and you will be alright," Elrin grinned. "Do not worry; I will be by your side all the while."

"Beats sleeping outside. Remember our training?" Alphonse grinned.

"Ick, don't remind me. I almost died of hunger and got bit by a fox," Edward spat.

"Alfonse is your confidante and a personal attendant, and he also serves as your primary bodyguard. It is rare to see one apart from the other, even in sleep. You are like brothers in your closeness," Ethelfleda continued. "I am surprised you remained together after your memory loss, though it is odd both you and Alfonse lost your memories. Perhaps your closeness transcends memory loss!"

"That must be it," Edward said with a half-hearted laugh.

"Oh, you will not know how to read or write, if you have lost your memories. It is fortunate we are still being taught, is it not?" she grinned.

"Certainly so," Alphonse agreed. "You must've been born under quite a lucky star."

Edward shot him a weird look.

"What? I'm just getting into character," Alphonse grinned.

"Weirdness must be contagious..." Edward mumbled to himself.

"Do not mock him for playing. It is a game, after all," Elrin said smugly. "If you do not want to be flogged, I suggest you start playing as well. You can only gain from this experience, Edward."

"Why can't they see you?" Alphonse whispered, nodding towards Ethelfleda and Troy.

"Because they can not see me, it is as simple as that. Of course, I can make them see me, but they would suspect something if I did so," she chuckled. "You have nothing to fear; for as long as you are in this world, I will remain by your side to tend to your every whim."

"The way you worded that makes it sound like you'd sleep with me if that's what I wanted," Edward mumbled to himself.

"You would not want that? I do not think the princesses would join you in your bed..." Elrin mused, partially to herself. "Incest is not frowned upon greatly, but they still might object. They see you as a role model, someone to look up to, not a lover. Perhaps you could take one of the handmaids at the castle... there are so many and you are quite handsome, you could easily have any number of women groveling at your feet, vying for your attention..."

"What are you saying?" Edward blanched, his cheeks flushing brilliant red.

"The nights can be long and lonely. You will not have your wife to keep you company, so who will sate your lust?" she asked innocently. "The only thing men are interested in apart from war is sex. Did you not know that?"

He sighed and let the subject drop. Such a plain manner of speaking - direct, nowhere near a bush to beat around, and to the point - was definitely a trait his wife possessed. Of course, she did make mischief like this cat-girl was doing. He was growing more and more certain that all that jazz she spewed about souls being recycled and upgraded as time wore on was actually true. He supposed, if he was a god (not that he really believed in them, even though he had personally met a few), that it'd be tiresome to constantly have to create new souls while doing who knows what with the souls of the people who have died. People were born and died every day; he wouldn't have a break at all! If he didn't think about it too scientifically, a great feat for him, it did make sense on a few levels.

The brothers, during a brief silence, noticed that the rain had not only let up, but that the sky had cleared as well. Summer storms were like that, though. Sudden torrents one moment and blissful sunshine the next.

"I can assure you we are highly compatible. Your wife is just a newer version of myself; there is hardly any difference. Is it because my tail may get in the way?" she continued.

"Now, little brother, I know you will not recall this, but Father is a very firm man and you will have to explain the situation to him once we arrive. It is part of the formalities. We are of the royal bloodline, and in rare events are exempt from these bothersome rituals, but it is crucial for you because you are the rightful heir to the throne. You will also attend the military strategy meetings with Father and the war ministers, to learn strategy, of course, and various ceremonies. Not only will you learn how our world works, but you will learn how to perform these ceremonies and nonesuch yourself when you ascend the throne. Oh, it must be terrible to remember nothing!" Ethelfleda sighed dramatically. "I shall have to educate you once again!"

"My Lady!" a feminine voice exclaimed joyously.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing outside the castle alone? Do you not know of the dangers of the outside world?" Ethelfleda demanded.

A young girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, scampered into view. She had long golden hair pulled back in two braids that reached down to her waist. Her amber eyes peered up from beneath her side swept bangs and she grinned sheepishly. She tightened her grip on the white and lavender flowers she carried in her arms.

"Lord Cain returned bearing news of the prince's return. The other maids and myself were sent out to gather flowers to decorate the banquet hall for the welcoming feast. Rest assured, we all have escorts from the castle guard," the girl, Elizabeth, replied sweetly.

"Recognize her?" Elrin asked teasingly.

"Should we?" Alphonse inquired.

"I do not blame you for not understanding right away. Not only are the souls similar, but the physical forms are similar to the ones you know. The man in glasses, and this maiden, you know them both in your world. You have known them for some time," Elrin smirked.

"My Lord! You have returned! The Lord King will be so pleased!" Elizabeth gushed, turning to Edward. "Oh, I shall return at once and tell the others you have arrived!"

"Use caution. The last time you rushed off, you fell into a ditch and twisted your ankle," Troy called as Elizabeth scampered away.

"I will," she smiled warmly at the man.

"My, my, it seems you have a suitor," Ethelfleda teased.

"Nonsense, My Lady," Troy huffed.

"If it's nonsense, why are your cheeks turning red?" Edward inquired.

"Th-that is because... it is such a warm day..." Troy stammered.

"Are you going to court her?" Alphonse asked.

"I am a servant of the Lord King. I cannot act in such a manner..." Troy started, his cheeks flushing darker.

"Yes, why do you not court her? It is clear your sentiments echo her own," Ethelfleda nodded.

"She is not of age..."

"Elizabeth turned fourteen suns this spring. It is early summer now. By the time the formalities are complete, she will be more than of age to marry," she insisted.

"My Lady, My Lord... if it pleases you..." the man fumbled over the words.

"Yeah, marry her. It'll do you good," Edward smirked. Troy shot him a warning glare.

The castle Ethelfleda spoke of quickly came into view. It loomed over the tree tops as the forest thinned into a stretch of meadow, dark and foreboding against the bright blue sky. There were four large towers, one north, one west, one east, and one south. Between the four large towers were countless smaller ones. In the center there appeared to be nothing. The walls were high, at least fifty times the height of a man, and had four rows of windows providing colorful breaks in the bleak stones. The closer they walked, the bigger the castle became. Edward and Alphonse were soon able to pick out guards pacing back and forth along the top of the walls and standing by large wooden doors. An organized set of horses paraded by, the soldiers sitting astride them gleaming as the sunlight reflected off their armor. They paused as Ethelfleda walked past, giving her a sharp salute. She returned it along with a winning smile before leading the others inside the massive doors. Alphonse couldn't help looking over his shoulder as a flurry of whispers followed the four. He knew they were talking about him and Edward; they had to be. After all, wasn't Edward the long lost Prince Edward? And wasn't he the prince's trusted companion? That was the implication, anyway.

"It is said that the Grand Creatrix, two of the highest ranking Asas, helped construct this castle in honor of our father's bravery in eight-hundred and seventy-nine. It took seven days and eight nights to construct, including the time it took to gather and transport the materials and plan the layout of the structure. Amestria is a small kingdom, but we are a proud people. The castle is centrally built, so folk from all parts of the kingdom can travel an equal distance to the castle. It is also a stronghold during times of war, so the location is vital to our defenses. All the civilians living in the lesser towns and villages seek refuge here during times of war or famine or disease. The land is pure and bountiful. There has not been neither drought nor famine in a century, but one never knows the methods the Asas choose to work in. There are four major cities: Westra, Easten, Sussan, and Nortgild. As the names might suggest, they are in the direction their names claim: Nortgild in the north, Westra in the west and so on. The four towers also respond to the directions. Father said the Asas were very meticulous in their construction of the castle," Ethelfleda explained as they walked through the stone halls and beneath an arch decorated with statues of blindfolded women holding scales.

"Who are these women?" Alphonse asked.

"The Asa of Justice. The blindfold represents Justice's impartiality while the scales represent the balance of things," Troy explained. "Legends say that if Justice removes her blindfold, she will become biased and the world will fall out of balance."

"The prince has returned!" someone exclaimed.

"Lady Ethelfleda has found him at long last!" another sighed in relief.

"What a joyous day it is!"

"Uh..." the brothers murmured to themselves.

"Say nothing. Keep your heads high and follow her lead. Do not mention your memory loss. You will be fine," Troy instructed them reassuringly.

Edward and Alphonse exchanged a worried glance. They swallowed nervously and did their best to follow Troy's instructions, holding their heads high and walking briskly alongside Ethelfleda. In no time at all, they were past the front door and breezing down a long, curving hallway. Two guards stood at attention before a massive, ornate door. They gripped sharp looking spears in their gloved hands and wore shiny metal armor. Edward wondered how hot they got wearing that. They saluted them and moved aside, allowing them access to the door. Ethelfleda opened the door and led the others inside.

"You are to stay with me for the time being. You are only a bodyguard. You must seek a formal audience with the Lord King. You and I are only allowed this far into the room because we are bodyguards," Troy said firmly, grabbing Alphonse's sleeve and holding him back.

"But..." he started.

"Do not worry; we will be able to hear everything they say. The chamber echoes sounds well," Troy smirked. "It is highly unlikely anything unfortunate will occur. The Lord King has been absolutely devastated since the prince has gone missing. The young Lord is his pride and joy, as most first-born sons are."

"My Father, Lord King Alfred the Great, I have found my brother Edward. Please, grace him with your words, Lord King, but be aware; he has lost his memory due to an accident neither he nor Alfonse recalls. I know it may seem strange to accept such a thing, but our prince has returned," Ethelfleda said formally, dropping to one knee before the figure seated on a large stone chair.

Not knowing what else to do, Edward mimicked her actions. He looked back over his shoulder at Alphonse. Troy caught his eye and motioned for him to look in front of him. His head snapped back around and he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Why are you so formal, my daughter?" the king asked around a laugh. "Edward, come here."

"Y-yes..." the blond replied, feeling awfully stupid.

He stood up and approached the king. He wasn't sure why, but there was something familiar about the man. He could see a few strands of dark hair peeking out from beneath the crown the man wore, and there was something in his eyes... Edward wanted to turn and run away when the king stood up.

"I am so glad you have returned to us!" the king exclaimed, engulfing Edward in a huge hug. The blond staggered backwards, his body freezing almost instantly. What the hell was going on? Why were people so _emotional_ in nine-hundred-whatever year it was? "Come! A banquet is being prepared in honor of your return. It matters not that you cannot remember anything; you will feel most welcome here, I assure you!"

Oh, yes, Edward saw the similarity now. He forced himself to turn the coming grimace into a smile. The words were different, but this man had to be Hughes' former life, no doubt about it. He seemed a bit flaky, but otherwise pretty normal.

"Join us, Ethelfleda! You are part of this family too!" Alfred grinned.

"Oh, Father!" she cried, tears running down her cheeks. She launched herself at the pair and flung her arms around them.

Edward felt strange. For so long, he had been the oldest, the one responsible for everything and in charge of taking care of everyone. Now, it seemed, he wasn't. It was odd, being fawned over like that. He had been fawned over before, naturally, but it was strange because it was from a familial perspective, not a romantic one. Was this what it was like for Alphonse when they were younger? Did his own kids feel this way?

"Wipe away those silly tears. I told you that you would be alright, did I not?" Elrin grinned.

Edward felt himself smile. It was a small one, aimed at no one in particular, but a smile nonetheless.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__2-4-11: Some things you may want to know or may need translated (this is to give this sub-arc an archaic feel...) oh, these aren't really spoilers. I kinda made anything that would've been spoiled rather obvious anyway, but in case you didn't get it:_

_Moons/lunar cycles = months (because of the lunar cycles)._

_Suns = years (because it takes the Earth one year to orbit the sun)._

_Troy is Roy's past life, hence the similarity in name. All of the characters appearing in Amestria will have similar names._

_Elizabeth is Riza's past life._

_Cain is Kain Fuery's past life (that one should be sort of obvious)._

_Alfred isn't Hohenheim, he's Hughes. This part kinda relates to the manga (if you've read Hohenheim's past) (not Hughes, I just wanted to put him in Godsend cuz he's awesome like that)._

_For information about the _**real**_ Ethelfleda and Edward the Elder, just type their names in on Wikipedia. I just used them as cores for this sub-arc. Don't sue me, please._

_Don't worry about pronouncing the names of the younger siblings and cousins and everyone; I tried to type them in a way that's easy to read and pronounce, because they've all got that stupid letter that's an A stuck to an E for the first letter. I damn the English language for being so strange so many years ago (have you read Shakespeare? This stuff is even older than that! My sources say the real Edward the Elder was born sometime around the 870's! that's like... the ninth century...) so don't feel bad if you can't pronounce the names. I did my best. Note that everyone from FMA has rather normal names (see number 3)._

_Westra, Easten, Sussan and Nortgild are made up cities. Amestria is smaller than Amestris. Midgard (which you should recognize from book 2) is the name of the middle city, which is basically the castle and the outlying fields. The circular layout of the country is important (see the manga or Brotherhood, though my reasons for the circular layout differ). Because of the thousand years between times, the locations are a bit screwy. The castle is located in the heart of what Ed and Al know to be West City, so everything is shifted to the west more or less. The planet (things get weird here) is upside-down compared to modern day Amestris, so the brothers wound up in the West, not the East. Also, times are slightly different. When it's nine o'clock at night in Amestria, it's midnight the next day (if that makes sense) in Amestris. I have a good reason for the random circle courtyard in the middle of the castle, too, so don't get too mad at me. It involves flowers... and stuff._

_That means Drachma and Creta are their own midget countries as well, just FYI._

_Lots of politics in this book. Sorry about that, but it's crucial to Ed's growth (yes, even as a thirty-something man with three kids, he's still growing) so I have to put all the politics in here. There's gonna be some war and stuff in here as well... I was going to use Wessex, Sussex, Essex, and Northumbria for the cities, but decided against it. Still... I may rename them when the country shifts east so things align with modern day Amestris..._

_See? Long chapter (sorry, but there was a lot I wanted to write about in this particular part. Forgive me...) and a short Area. Well, it's shorter than most. Next one will be really short._


	13. James

_13: James_

"Mommy, why is it so hot?" Ai complained.

"It's summer, Ai. We're closer to the sun and that's what makes it hot," Aislinn replied.

"I wanna go swimming..." she pouted.

"Maybe later," Aislinn chuckled.

"Aislinn?" a male voice inquired softly.

"Yes?" she replied, turning around.

"You are Aislinn, right?" the man asked, taking off his sunglasses.

"I... it can't be... James?" she asked.

"Wow, it's been a long time, huh?" he chuckled dryly.

"Close to twenty, I should think," Aislinn replied.

"You'd be in your thirties, then, right?" James inquired.

"Thirty-two, actually."

"Mother, who is this strange man?" Ai demanded, tugging on her mother's skirt.

"My name is James McLean. Unfortunately, I'm related to Robin, the one who caused your mother and her family so much pain and suffering. It's a plasure to meet you, young lady; you must be Ai," he said, bending down and kissing the back of her hand.

"He was my boyfriend for a while, before I met your father," Aislinn explained.

"Cheater..." Ai sang.

"That was a long time ago, you brat," Aislinn said tightly.

"Yeah, because you're such an old lady now," she sneered.

"You'll have to forgive me for asking - I wouldn't want your husband to get angry - but would you join me for a cup of coffee? It's so crazy that we ran into each other after all these years. I'd like to know what you've been up to," James said, his cheeks turning light pink.

"No, that's fine. I don't have anything to do of major importance right now. Coffee would be great," Aislinn smiled. "Alphonse isn't in town right now, but I know he wouldn't mind."

"I'm going home. See you later," Ai said crisply before sauntering off down the street.

"Did I do something?" James asked dryly.

"No... she just misses her father. He's... off on another mission," Aislinn replied. It wasn't a complete lie; Ai did miss her father. But to cover up the whole 'time-travel' thing it was agreed that Alphonse had gone on a mission and Edward got dragged along. The reason the twins hadn't come along? Easy: they had to take care of the kids, and besides, Christin wasn't in the best condition to travel.

"Mission... you said Alphonse. Oh, that's right! You married the Fullmetal Alchemist's younger brother, didn't you?" James grinned.

"Yeah, and I owe it all to my sister," she said, blushing a bit.

"I remember reading about that in the papers. Your sister certainly is something," he chuckled.

"She doesn't seem to think so. She hates all the attention she got because of what happened to her and because of her. You remember the War of Deception, how there was that alternate dimension?" she chattered.

"Yes, that was like a science fiction novel brought to life..." he replied dryly.

"Turns out that she had been sent to that alternate dimension shortly after she was born. She grew up there, and by either luck or a miracle she came back to this world. All hell seemed to break loose after that: Dies Irae, the War of Deception... I'm not trying to pin all the blame on her, but she was a catalyst for most of that stuff," Aislinn sighed.

"But she did do some good, right?" he inquired.

"Well, she did do her best to fix up the messes that were left everywhere... and she did help with the Air Fleet quite a bit... and of course there's the music..."

"She's been quite the media darling. It didn't help much that she was associated with the Fullmetal Alchemist, eh?"

Aislinn had to laugh. "Associated? They're married now! With four... no, three kids."

"Four... no, three?" James repeated

"Their first daughter, Rio, was killed during the War of Deception. It was hard on them both, particularly Edward, since he was the one who... put her out of her misery, if you will," she said heavily, sliding into a booth at the diner they had gone to.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope they're doing alright," he said lamely.

"You wouldn't even know it happened to look at them now," she chuckled.

"Can I get you something?" a waitress inquired sweetly.

"Um... just black coffee for me," Aislinn replied.

"You drink it black? Make that two, please," James smiled at the waitress. "You don't strike me as a black coffee sort of person. You used to hate the stuff back when we were dating."

"Things change. Actually, I know only one person who can't drink black coffee: my sister," she snickered.

"Really? Then what does she drink in the morning?"

"Well, she drinks tea a lot, but when she does drink coffee, she puts a mountain of cream and... thirteen spoons of sugar," Aislinn grimaced.

"Thirteen? My god, isn't there a limit to how much sugar a person can consume in a day?" he blanched.

"No, that's caffeine. There's a difference, but there is a limit for sugar intake as well."

"So how have you been, Aislinn? The last thing I remember hearing about you after our break-up was that train accident," James chattered, resting his elbows on the table.

"Ugh, don't remind me about that. I died, practically. I don't really remember much..." she lied. It was better to keep him in the dark about her becoming a Homunculus, and she didn't want to answer any awkward questions. "But I did get better, with the help of my sister and husnabd, though he was just my boyfriend at the time. They saved me."

"I thought your sister was dead. In high school, when we first started dating, you told me you had a twin sister who died shortly after birth. How is it possible she's alive?" he inquired, seeming geniunely interested in her answers.

"The alternate dimension. Something happened and she was sent across time and space. Of course, that kinda screwed things up a bit. Genetically, we're the same, but something happened when she crossed dimensions... she went almost a thousand years into the furute... and she ages sifferently than I, making her a year younger. I'm not too sure on all the little intricate details, but I really don't care about that now. Thank you," she said absently as the waitress set their coffee down before them.

"Sounds like you've been keeping busy since high school," James chuckled dryly.

"I'm sick of hearing about my life. What have you been up to?" she smiled.

"Same thing: trying to become a novelist." He sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his dark grey hair.

"And how is that working out?"

"Terrible. I'm so inconsistent... I can't stick to an idea for very long before another better one comes along. Even short stories are a Herculean task..." he grumbled.

"Maybe you should try journalism. I hear journalists get paid fairly well for their work," she suggested.

"Yeah, but there's the snooping around at oh-dark thirty to get just one good article that might not get published," he chuckled dryly.

"Maybe you should try another career," she sighed.

"Maybe... I don't really know what I'm good at, though," he shrugged, mumbling his words into his drink as he took a sip.

"Well, in high school you always had a lot of girlfriends. Perhaps you should try a brothel."

"Nah, there's only been one girl for me. But, unfortunately for me, she got married. Don't get me wrong, I wish her every happiness under the sun, I just can't help being jealous of the guy who snagged her. I suppose it's my fault though... I was the one who broke it off..." he mused.

"Well, I share some of that too. Actually... you could blame most of it on me. If I hadn't been so fickle and Robin hadn't..." Aislinn stopped talking, realizing just what she had done.

_She _had been the cause of all their pain and suffering by Robin.

She had dated James in high school, on and off for about a year before going steady for another. Then... his older brother Robin had taken an interest in her. Being a stupid, foolish teenage girl, she had both humored and been humored by him. Robin had joined the military at age nineteen, pretty young but he had nothing against Edward, who joined at twelve, and she couldn't get over how nice he looked in that blue uniform. It made him look important, and she felt important just standing near him when others were around.

They snuck around behind James' back for about six months before she finally ended her relationship with the younger brother to pick up the one she was forming with the older. She graduated school and moved in with Robin, who had an apartment in the city. She had gone back to Resembool to visit her parents and it was the train ride back that had first killed her.

"She did the same thing..." she mumbled to herself, also realizing just how similar she and her sister were: both had started out dating a younger brother, snuck around with the older, then broken it off with the younger to pursue the older.

"I'm sorry?" James cut in.

"Oh, geez, sorry. I got lost in thought," Aislinn grimaced, striking her forehead with the palm of her hand. "What were you saying?"

"I was just saying that it's really nice to see you again after all these years. I mean, you look like you haven't aged a bit since the break-up!" he replied.

"Um... thank you. I'd say the same about you, but you seemed to have bulked up a bit. You used to be so skinny," she snickered.

"Yeah, some people still call me Twiggy McLean. But I try not to go out in public all that much, because of what my older brother did. It's really hard on Samuel too, poor kid," he sighed.

"Who's Samuel?" she inquired.

"Oh, that's right. You don't know him. He was born after we broke up. He's... what, fourteen now? Yeah, fourteen, his birthday isn't for another couple months," James nodded.

"You don't speak much?" she asked, picking up the hints from the way he struggled to recall his younger brother's age.

"Nah, contact between the family has been strained because of our shame over what Robin did. I can't say I'm glad he's dead, but at least he won't suffer anymore, right?"

"Yes... that is a good thing..." she answered distantly.

"Something wrong?"

"No... things are just a little hard right now, for everyone," she replied with a shake of her head.

"No doubt, if your husband is away. I don't want to be too forward, but if you ever need anything you can come to me. I know you have your sister, but still..." he trailed off, blushing madly.

"I appreciate that. Thank you James," she grinned.

"Actually, I'd like to meet your sister. She sounds very interesting from all I've read about her. Can I meet her?" he inquired.

"I don't see any reason why not. Just try to avoid mentioning her... involvement with the public eye. She hates being reminded of the situations under which she became well-known," Aislinn nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh yes... the lab rat phase... the wars... it's surprising she hasn't been shunned by the masses yet. Oh, no offense, of course."

"None taken. She's home now, actually. I'll call and see if she won't join us," she replied, fishing her cell phone out of her pocket. She still wasn't entirely sure how the device functioned, but all she really needed to know was that she could call someone from the middle of the street. Christin had explained the whole 'how a phone could work without a wire' thing many times, and she vaguely remembered it was something to do with air waves, but she never bothered to go into depth with the matter. She punched in the number for her apartment.

"Hello?" Tobias answered shortly.

"Is your mom around? A friend and I were wondering if she could join us for coffee," she chattered.

"You have friends, really? I mean, apart from all the military dogs we know?"

"Watch that attitude, mister."

"Sorry. Um... it really isn't a good time right now. She... uh..." he paused as if he was looking around. "She's had another memory lapse," he said in a low voice.

"Another one? This doesn't sound good at all..." Aislinn mused.

"How much longer are you going to stay out? There's only so much Ai and I can do for the younger brats with Mom like that," he sighed.

"Not very long, I should think. Maybe ten, fifteen minutes," she replied.

"Okay, I'll try to keep things under control until then..." he mumbled.

"Right. thanks," she said before she hung up.

"So..." James started. The waitress placed their check on the table and James pulled out his wallet to pay for their coffee.

"She can't make it. Something urgent came up that she has to take care of," Aislinn replied.

"Oh, that's too bad. Rain check?" he inquired with a small grin.

"Sure, I don't see why not. I think she'd enjoy meeting you," she smiled back. "She might resent you at first becuse you're related to Robin but if she took the time to get to know you, she'd really like you."

"You sure about that?" he asked warily. "I wouldn't want to be disliked for being associated with a rapist."

"She'll like you. We have similar preferences in the kinds of people we like and associate with. The only thing you'd have to worry about is her temper," she laughed.

"That's reassuring... I heard her temper was bad, but... can it really be that bad?"

"You've heard of Edward's reputation, right? And his temper? She's almost like a female vesion of him, althought she has an intelligence complex, not a height complex. I'll call you when it's a good time for a meeting," she replied. "Well, actually, she used to have a height complex too, but I'm pretty sure she outgrew it."

"Here's my number. I'm usually free in the afternoon after two and on weekends. Feel free to call if you need anything," he waved and walked away down the street, opposite the direction Aislinn was headed.

She hurried home as fast as possible. She had made a very important discovery from her conversation with James. Absently, she thought about how nice it was to see him again. But he had given her a vital piece of information, one that could save the lives of countless people. She stopped only once to buy a newspaper.

On one of the bridges crossing the Marl River, there was a huge mob of people. Curiosity got the better of her and she joined the throng.

"How terrible..." one woman muttered to her husband.

"Gross, and I just finished lunch," a teenage girl griped.

"How could someone do something so horrible? And to a child at that?" a man spat viciously.

Somehow, Aislinn managed to wriggle her way to the front of the crowd. There were military officers holding the crowd back and trying to block their view, but she still managed to catch a glimpse of the scene that had drawn the crowd.

MP's were carrying the body of a child, and the body had no skin at all.

She felt sick to her stomach. The coffee she had consumed churned uneasily inside her and she pressed a hand to her stomach in hopes of quelling it.

Something fell from the body's hand. It was a small draw-string bag. A puff of white powder flew into the air as the bag hit the ground. A wind blew it in her direction, perhaps more than a coincidence, and she caught the sweet scent of flowers.

She knew who had been killed. No one else would have powder made from crushed flowers in such a large quantity, and it did explain the boy's sudden disappearance. She felt her knees go weak, but forced herself to stay standing and to hide her forming tears.

It was Hao who had been killed.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 2-13-11: I can't watch FMA without wanting to work on Godsend... every time I turn FMA on, I end up using Gaku-tan to write Godsend. I suppose it makes sense (using the original concept to fuel a fanfiction) but I still find it weird. Is that weird?_

_Mmm... I like this chapter a lot, actually. I wasn't too thrilled in the beginning, but it's more about Aislinn's past, which I'm enjoying writing about. So now you know how she met Robin: she dated his little brother in high school. James... I like that name a lot, actually. James, Jamie, Jimmy... I call him Jamie a lot when I think about a part he's in... you know, planning it out._

_Siblings are very important in FMA, aren't they? There's the Elric brothers, the twins, Scar and Scar's older brother, James and Robin (and Samuel, but he won't show up much)... I keep wanting to think Roy has a little brother for some strange reason... Olivier and Armstrong (I call him Armstrong, but read it as Alex Louis)... I have a brother in real life, but we don't get along very well... my sister and I get along great, though, despite the fact that I'm the younger one... my relationship with my stepbrother is pretty good, if we can get past the 'Naruto Versus Fullmetal Alchemist' arguments we always get into... and Sanchan is the sister of my soul! (What the heck am I babbling about now?)_

_So... Sanchan and I are working on a collaboration, in case you wanted to know what was going on in reality, for once... I'm procrastinating on my SP yet again (I've fallen almost a month behind the schedule I set out for myself) but I'm like... 8 pages away from being done, so I should finish it up by the end of the week! If I work diligently and stop working on Black&White Kingdom (a maho shojo story I started) long enough... I got the idea from a really pretty picture of Ed and Rin I drew (it's actually up on my DA account) and her outfit was totally magical girl, so I decided 'I'm gonna make a magical girl story using Ed!' but I tweaked Ed so he isn't Ed anymore, so I don't get sued or something. He clips his hair back and is a lot nicer... and he cooks a lot. :) They just look kinda similar, that's all._

_I finally finished the MV from book 2, chapter 59, but haven't been able to upload it to my DA account yet, so please be patient a little longer! I also drew pictures of Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games, so those will be up there too, when I finally get good wifi connection... And I drew a really cute picture of Ed and Roy, but I found out that the colored pencils I used to color it are actually watercolors, so now I'm gonna paint it and add that to my DA as well._

_Oh-dark thirty is a phrase my government/economics/civil and criminal law teacher uses a lot. He also says 'almost only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades' like my mom. I don't understand the hore shoe part, but I get the hand grenades. (I'm a pyro, so of course I get hand grenades... they go BOOM!) He used to be a police officer in Hollyweird, so he has a million weird stories to tell us. Of course, the other kids in my classes are always screaming for either a story or Law and Order or Judge Judy._

_Until chapter 14, where we go see what kind of mischief Ed and Al have gotten themselves into. Oh, Crappy Valentines Day, everyone._


	14. Prince

_14: Prince_

"I wonder how long it's been..." Alphonse mumbled softly.

"Say what?" Edward asked.

"Since we left. I was wondering how much time had passed, you know, since things were way off in that false dimension. This is a half-dimension, so..." the younger brother trailed off.

"Good question. Maybe that cat-girl will know," the blond mused.

The pair had been led down perhaps half a dozen different halls to a large chamber at the northern end of the castle. Apparently, it was Prince Edward's room, so it was only natural that the Elric brothers (who were supposed to be portraying the missing prince and his companion) would occupy it.

The chamber itself was perhaps half the size of the cafeteria at any military command (all five were similar sizes) and made entirely out of stone. There were large rectangles placed every so often in the walls, most likely windows. They brought up the question of how heat was retained when it got colder. Against one wall was a massive bed that could sleep at least five people comfortably, with polished wooden posts and a thick and luxurious-looking fabric the color of cream draped over the posts. There were curtains tied off around the four posts, made of the same thick cream colored fabric, and could easily be untied to give the persons on the bed complete privacy. In the wall opposite the bed was a large fireplace. Alphonse was able to stand up straight inside it; that was how big it was. There was a large divan in front of the fireplace that could allow both brothers to recline comfortably and not get in the other's way, and in front of that a low table made of polished mahogany. Next to that was a large pile of silk-covered pillows, and the whole area was sunken into the floor and one had to step down to access the divan or pillow-pile. At the farthest end of the room was a large stone table covered with books and an ornate armchair. There was also a door, though it was just a rectangular hole in the wall, that led to a smaller, less lavish, room that Alfonse used if the prince didn't want him in his room. According to Ethelfleda, the instances when Alfonse wasn't by the prince's side were rare but by no means didn't occur, and the man did spend a night or two in his lesser chamber.

News of the men's supposed amnesia spread quickly among the maids and servants, and a number of young women had approached Edward saying that he could still use them as he saw fit, should the need or desire arise.

"Not a bad arrangement, is it?" Elrin snickered. "I did tell you that you would be able to live in comfort. It is nothing like what you are used to, according to the visions, but I think you will like it well enough."

"Elrin, you know a lot, right? Can you tell us how much time has passed where we came from?" Alphonse said eagerly, leaping up from the divan and turning to face the cat-girl.

She yawned and stretched out across a portion of the bed.

"I could... if I was properly compensated," she giggled.

"Compensated?" Edward repeated, sitting up and leaning over the back of the divan.

"I believe you call it an equivalent exchange. One cannot gain something unless something of equal value is given up. If I tell you, you shall have to tell me something as well."

"That seems fair. What do you wanna know?" Edward sighed.

"I do not know. I will let you know when I think of something," she grinned, one of her ears twitching. "Oh, I know! You use some strange words; what language are they from, and where did you learn them?"

"Strange words?"

"Yes. I believe a few are 'gonna' and 'wanna' and... oh, 'dude' is one I do not understand at all," she nodded.

Both men burst out laughing.

"That's just slang, Elrin," Alphonse wheezed when he was able to catch a little of his breath.

"What is 'slang' Alphonse?"

"It's just words we use in place of other words," Edward chortled.

"Like synonyms?"

"Something like that."

"Can you explain what a 'dude' is?"

"Dude is just another way of referring to a man," Alphonse replied.

"And 'gonna' is just a contraction of 'going to' and 'wanna' is a contraction of 'want to' so there really isn't any difference. It's just how we talk naturally," Edward added, pressing a hand to his stomach.

"So... you are a 'dude' then?" she inquired.

"Guilty as charged," Edward teased, holding up his right hand.

"Oh, I had nearly forgotten! Your hand had been hidden by your sleeve so on one noticed, but I made something for you!" Elrin exclaimed, leaping off the bed and scampering up to the blond.

She grabbed at his shirt and untied the string holding the front closed, exposing a good protion of his chest. She produced a small leather pouch and dipped two fingers inside. She smeared a pale pink paste across the automail plating attached to his chest and then blew on it lightly. Within moments, the paste spread to cover his entire arm. and it looked like he had never lost the limb in the first place.

"There. That should do the trick," she said smugly, closing the pouch and, Edward assumed, put it away. "It will prevent suspicion from arising about your limb. I have more if you need to cover your leg as well. It should last for about seven days before you will need more."

"Oh... uh, thanks," he mumbled, turning his arm this way and that, trying to find a bit of automail that might give them away. It looked almost excatly like his human limb did, including the scar from the fox bite.

"What is that stuff?" Alphonse asked.

"Oh, just a paste I whipped up a while ago. It's infused with my powers, and can alter how something is seen. I am sure your sister would call it... 'cellular transformation' or... no, it would be 'cellular alteration' and all it does is change how something looks. I have not learned how to make something feel different, but I am certain I will figure it out in due course!" she chirped.

"And you're learning all this... from reading my wife's mind? Are you like our son?" Edward asked, struggling a bit with the concept. Lately... everything he had known to be true was being proven wrong in some respect. Maybe he did still see the world in black and white after all...

"No... I could be if I really put my mind to it, no intentional pun, but it does require much of my energy and there are some things I would prefer to never know a person thinks about. We are the same soul, in similar bodies, connected by the mind. Surely you know that, Edward. I am speaking of reading one's mind of course. Your wife and I hae similar powers, as one would expect. We are the same, allowing for cultural differences, so it is only natural that our bodies and powers are the same. We merely assume different roles in the game called life," Elrin said, turning and walking back towards the bed.

"So... we've explained some slang words, now you have to deliver your end of the bargain," Alphonse said firmly.

"And so I shall. Time differs slightly from this world and your own. When it is midday here, it is... three in the afternoon the next day where you are from. That is twenty-seven hours ahead. Not So great a difference, considering the time changes in the false dimension. That one was ahead of yours by several hundred years or more, was it not?" she sighed, climbing on the cough and crawling into a ball.

"Big Brother!" a girl's voice exclaimed. It was accompanied by several sets of footsteps and soon the bodies making them tumbled into view.

"I have missed you so, Big Brother!" another girl added.

Three kids, two girls and a boy, ran into the chamber. The tallest one had two long brown braids and a cheery face. The middle one had short hair that was a lighter brown, and the boy had short blond hair that stuck up all over and bright blue eyes. If the brothers didn't know better, and they did, they would've said the girl with braids resembled Nina, the girl with short hair: Elysia, and the boy: Fletcher.

"Where have you been, Big Brother?" the boy asked, flinging his arms around Edward's middle.

"Fool. He does not remember. Were you not listening when Big Sister was telling us this?" the one with braids chided.

"I still want to know," the boy pouted.

"I was away, but I'm back now," Edward replied stupidly. That was probably the worst answer he could've come up with.

"We must introduce ourselves, so Big Brother will once again call us by name. Brother Edward, I am Ethelgifu, nineteen suns of age and second daughter to our Father, the Lord King Alfred the Great," the one with braids said formally, pulling out the hem of her skirt in a small curtsy.

"I am Elfthryth, sixteen suns of age and youngest daughter of the Lord King," the one with short hair also curtsied.

"Um... I am Athelward, twelve suns old and youngest son of the Lord King," the boy said with a small bow.

"Well, you do look familiar," Edward mused. That much was true.

"You remember?" Athelward asked eagerly, looking up at Edward.

"Perhaps," he shrugged.

Alphonse watched the siblings fawn over Edward. It seemed like the prince his brother was impersonating was loved by everyone. At least... by everyone in his family.

"Sir Alfonse..." someone whispered. Alphonse turned and saw the girl called Elizabeth peeking inside the room.

"Yes?" he replied politely.

"Th-the Lord King bade me tell you to prepare for the banquet."

"Is that all?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes, Sir," she replied meekly.

"Thank you very much. I'll tell the prince," he nodded.

Elizabeth smiled and ducked behind the doorframe. Alphonse heard her hurry down the hall. A smile quirked his lips and he returned to his brother.

"Sir Alfonse!" Ethelgifu exclaimed, running up to and hugging him. "I have not seen you in ages! It is so good you have returned to us."

"I would imagine so," he grinned.

"Ooh, a kitty," Athelward cooed.

"Kitty?" the brothers repeated stupidly. They turned to see Athelward climbing onto the massive bed and pulling a small brown cat onto his lap.

"Elrin..." Alphonse mumbled under his breath. The cat looked up at the mentioning of her name and mewled.

"Where did you find a cat, Big Brother?" Eflthryth inquired, keeping a firm grip on Edward's arm.

"In the forest beyond the castle," he replied with half a smile. "Although it was more like she found us."

"It is a girl cat?" the boy asked. Edward nodded. "She is such a pretty cat."

He watched as Elrin purred and rubbed her face against Athelward's hand.

"Alright children, you must get dressed for the banquet," a maid announced, clapping her hands together. The three children made disappointed noises, but obeyed. That showed how well they were being raised.

"Prince, I trust you need no assistance other than that of Alfonse. I shall send an escort before the banquet starts. I have laid out your clothing there," she gestured at the bed and ushered the children out.

"Oh, what fun! Banquets are such fun!" Elrin clapped her hands together.

"Does that mean food?" the blond asked, pressing a hand to his stomach. How long had it been since he had eaten last?

"Yes, most banquets usually include food. Come, I shall help you get dressed. Alphonse, you do not need to change. Your clothing is fine as it is," she grinned and motioned for Edward to come closer.

"You will put this on first. It is made of cotton and protects against the rough fabric of the outer layers. I brought this because I assumed that you would not be comfortable in the type of clothing we have here. On top of that you will wear this shirt," she held up first a thin white shirt followed by a grey long sleeved shirt. "You will put this on over that, followed by a cape."

"Uh... right," Edward mumbled.

"Should I call for assistance?" Elrin inquired. "66! 48!"

"You have got to be kidding me..." Edward groaned.

"Brother, there's no way they can be the same..." Alphonse started, but decided not to finish. Considering what had been happening lately, maybe saying 'it's all just a coincidence' wouldn't be so smart.

Two men in simple clothing came into the room and helped Edward dress. There was a knock on the door and Elrin indicated that Alphonse should open it. He obliged and just barely managed to hold in a scream.

Scar, heavily garbed and armed, was standing at the door and leering down at him.

"Is the Lord Prince ready yet?" he said gruffly.

"Yes, he is ready, Scar," 66 replied.

"I am to escort him to the banquet," Scar replied, stepping to the side and gesturing for Edward and Alphonse to join him in the hall.

"Right," Alphonse nodded.

"I have been informed of your situation, Lord Prince. I am captain of the castle guard. You may call me Scar like my men, and others, do. Now that you have returned, of course, you will take your place at the head of the military. It is important that the candidate for king know of proper, successful military strategy. Ah..." he said as a man in long flowing robes dyed dark blue and spectacles approached. A heavy book was cradled in one arm.

"Forgive my tardiness, Brother," the man panted. "Greetings, Lord Prince," he said, bowing to Edward. "Welcome back."

"My elder brother, Darius. He is instrucing you and your siblings, seeing that you all have the best education possible," Scar gestured at the man, who bowed again. "Brother, where is..."

"I am coming!" a man called, running down the hall. "Forgive me... the other servants were in such a tizzy because of the prince's return... I apologize for being late..."

Edward studied the man carefully. He had long blond hair tied back in a single ponytail like his, and he was close to him in height and body structure. A look at the face, and he knew this man was his father's previous life. He did his best not to glare or curse the man.

"Thank you, 23. I can understand your situation. The entire city of Midgard is overjoyed at the Lord Prince's return," Darius smiled kindly.

23 held out a golden crown resting on a purple pillow. Red jewels glittered in the sunlight streaming through the rectangular windows.

"You will be presented the crown during the banquet, to show that you have returned and will resume your place in the heirarchy," Daruis explained as 23 hurried away.

The four men and Elrin walked briskly through the halls. The Elric brothers made a mental note to have someone show them around so they wouldn't need an escort when they wanted to go somewhere, or get lost when they went somewhere. They were given a double door entrance into a grand dining hall and ushered to a table where Alfred and the other siblings were seated. Ethelfleda smiled and pointed at the seat next to her. Edward sat down, and Alphonse next to him. Elrin stood behind them, just in case they needed her help.

Alfred stood and hel up a hand. The chattering quieted down and everyone paid attention.

"Lords and Ladies of the court, it is our greatest honor... nay, a priviledge... to announce that our eldest son has, after five long moons, finally returned home to Amestria, to Midgard, and to us," Alfred boomed, instantly silencing everyone in the room. Everyone's attention shifted to Edward, and he felt his cheeks heat up in embarassment.

"We're stuck now, Brother," Alphonse hissed under his breath.

"I know," Edward whispered back.

"Presenting the future king of Amestria, our eldest son," Alfred continued, gesturing at Edward. Elrin poked his side and motioned for him to stand as well. He obliged. He felt, rather than saw, Darius stand behind him. He knew the man was holding the crown 23 had given him. It was lighter than he had expected, when it was placed on his head, but it also carried a certain weight that he wouldn't soon be free of. He knew what he had gotten into, and he intended to make the most of it until he could leave.

"Prince Edward!"

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__2-27-11: I spared no expense in designing the prince's bedroom! It may seem strange from our modern perspective, but I think it would suit someone living in that time period. I'd love to live there... in the summer, maybe, when it's not so cold. The bed... I love the bed. I love big beds with squishy matresses and soft silky sheets. and they have to have canopys. Have to. I love the depressed living room too. I'm pretty sure that's the wrong term, but it's a living room or area or something that's set in the floor lower than everything else. You know what I'm talking about? Like... you have to walk down a step or two to be able to sit on the couch... Damn it! If only I could remember the name for that! Someone tell me, please. It's gonna bug me forever if I don't figure it out... Um... put plainly, I love expensive-looking rooms with huge beds and large couches. And big, big piles of pillows for people to lounge on! When I become rich and famous from all my successful manga, I'm going to buy a huge house and make my bed room exactly like the prince's (minus the cold stones everywhere) with a gigantic bed, a depressed living area, a comfy couch, and piles of pillows for everyone to sit on so all my friends can come over and we can watch anime (meaning FMA) together! I'm not sure about the fireplace, though... I'll probably just have central heating/cooling... gotta have A/C during the summer and a heater during the winter!_

_Ah, I love the siblings. For some reason, I wanted to make them irresitably cute. I hope I got that across when I wrote about them. Athelwold and Athelhelm... I picture them as Hikaru and Kaoru from Ouran for some reason... troublemakers... I need to read Ouran... and watch more of the anime (I only watched part of episode one... and a random one in the middle where Tamaki becomes engaged to some chick who shows up during a school festival or something... is it just me, or did Tamaki sound like a flirtatious, drunken Edward? I mean... I know who the voice actor is [was?] and all, but still... when I watched that episode I was all 'HOLY SHIT HE SOUNDS LIKE ED! A FLIRTATIOUS WANNA-BE DRUNKEN COLONEL VERSION OF ED!' but... still...)_

_Um...Elfy's past life is Elysia... and Ethelgifu is Nina's? I haven't really worked that out yet, but it's not like they're really that different. Both are cute girls and Elysia _was_ Hughes' daughter, so I felt obligated to put her in here. I really wanted to write about the Hughes family, so they'll be appearing in this book (Gracia and Elysia show up in modern Amestris as well, so yay for them) and be a part of Godsend after all. Athelward... is Fletcher? Yeah, that sounds good (I haven't worked that out, exactly...)_

_I made the teacher Scar's brother (I named him Darius because he looked like a Darius to me. I don't recall his name being mentioned at all, so...) and Scar is a general of the castle's guards. His name stayed the same because it was easier that way (and it works for a knight, y'know?) and I didn't have to bother with trying to come up with a name that resembled 'Scar' so hurray for kick-ass nicknames._

_Just to make it easy for everyone (and myself) here are the list of people who you've met the past lifes of:_

_Elrin = Christin_

_Ethelfleda = Aislinn_

_Troy = Roy_

_Elizabeth = Riza_

_Cain = Fuery_

_Alfred = Hughes_

_Darius = Scar's brother_

_Scar = Scar (that's pretty obvious)_

_Ethelgifu = Nina_

_Elfthryth = Elysia_

_Athelward = Fletcher_

_Athelwold = Russell_

_Athelhelm = Armstrong_

_66 = 66 a.k.a. Barry the Chopper (another obvious one)_

_48 = 48 a.k.a. Slicer (again, obvious) (I made them slaves to keep with Hohenheim in the manga...)_

_23 = Hohenheim (I'm not positive about the number, but I think I'm close to being right)_

_Ticia = Trisha (that one was a little strange... it's pronounced 'tish-A' but I didn't want to be so direct and just call her Trisha...)_

_The Ouroborus gang is pretty much the same, only they're raiders. They still have their same powers and names and everything, but there are slight differences._

_Obviously, there are going to be two characters named Edward and Alfonse (I spelled it differently so there wouldn't be any confusion between the two... sadly, I can't really spell 'Edward' differently without it getting weird...) but they won't show up for a really long time... they'll show up only briefly at the end of part one._

_Oh, this story's got two parts. There's this part, and a second one that occurs after the idiot brothers learn about using the Hourglass. Hourglasses are cool. I used to use one to time myself while I brushed my teeth, but now I don't. Of course, hourglasses remind me of Sand Chronicles... I love that manga. I love the faces Hinako Ashihara sensei draws._

_I promise there's a good reason Elrin's toying with them and making them stay a thousand years in the past. I just can't tell you yet._

_A divan is a couch or sofa, by the way. Just in case you didn't know that. Sorry it's taking so long to get through this part, but I want to make sure you all get the feel of the place Amestris used to be._

_Sorry it took so long to get this one out. Writer's block, a little. Just a smidge._


	15. Fairy

_15: Fairy_

"You're going out?" Tobias inquired.

"Yeah, I got a call from Sheska. She said I needed to get down to HQ as soon as possible. Something about them needing my help," Christin waved her hand dismissively, pulling a brush through her hair.

"Are you sure you're well enough for that?"

"Geez, would you all quit treating me like I'm crippled?" she huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "I have magic, remember? I can manage a few hours on my own. Aislinn should be back soon anyway, so there's nothing to worry about. And considering what you've been through, I have every reason to believe that you can take care of yourself and the others. Besdes, Ai can help too."

She stormed out of the building and down the street. Her pace slowed the further away she got. She heard kids laughing and playing somewhere nearby. She let herself smile. The small, simple things like that... she really, really liked that. She took small amounts of pleasure in the small things, nowadays. She almost had to.

She was dying, after all.

The walk to military HQ was long, but the time felt short. Summer had that effect, the way the days were longer and how the sun stayed in the sky until the evening. It was four in the afternoon now. A few months ago, it would've been getting dark at this time. She preferred the summer and its heat and warmth. She used to hate it so much... what happened?

"Ms. Fallbrook," a man in uniform greeted her.

"That's Mrs. Elric," she corrected dryly.

"I'm sorry, I just can't... well, no one can... get used to the idea of a fairy taking someone's last name," he apologized sheepishly.

"Fairy?" she repeated. Great, more glorification.

"You haven't heard this? Sheesh, it's about you!"

"I have been living in Resembool for the past decade. I don't much care about city life," she said stiffly.

"Right... sorry. Uh, I'm here to escort you... Captain..."

"Huh... I haven't been called Captain in a long time. Alright, let's get going then," she grinned.

"Uh... about the whole 'fairy' thing..." the man started.

"Yeah, what the hell is that about?"

"Well, most people know you for your 'magic.' I know that you've told people it's only a higher form of alchemy, but you know how the masses can be. It's so enchanting, your story. A young girl with a mysterious power appears out of nowhere and saves the country from destruction, bringing new technology and so much more to Amestris. And who can forget how you captured the heart of one of the best and brightest the country ever produced, the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, or how you saved your twin sister from death! The girl who could do anything! It's just like a fairy tale! That's why you're called a fairy... 'the fairy of the military' to be exact, because you helped build the air fleet and the amazing flying machines and could use your magic to do almost anything," the man gushed.

" 'The fairy of the military' huh? It's ironic, really, how I'm given a name for what I am and my power only now, whe it's close to the end..." she mumbled.

"The end of what?" he inquired.

"It's nothing," she replied, shaking her head and sending her hair into her face. "I'll be along in a moment."

"I'll wait here," he nodded.

She ducked into a bathroom. Geez, people had gotten annoying in recent years! A fairy, huh? Well... looking at her reflection in the mirror, at her long hair that refused to cooperate with her, her large green eyes, her slender limbs... she could see how people thought she was a fairy.

Not that she really needed any more crazed fans calling her something she wasn't. Everything had been a sham, in one way or another. Her ability to fly those airplanes? She had learned how from a video game she had played only once when she was a child and barely remembered at the time. Her authority as Captain? Her bad attitude at work, and her insecurity. Her 'capture' of Edward? Her unfaithfulness to Alphonse. Saving Aislinn? Envy's sudden interest in _her_ and Robin's deluded fantasies.

None of that was done by her. She was just a pawn, a figure-head... a pawn on a gaint chessboard, long forgotten and of no real use. She was no 'fairy' and wasn't even close.

_'Stop it! What the hell is that attitude? I am a great person. I may not be a fairy or anything, but I did do some good, didn't I? I stopped Envy and Homunculus and brought something resembling peace to two worlds. Besides, Alphonse was cheating on me as well, so neither of us are really to blame. That just wasn't meant to be. All the blame can be pinned on Envy, Robin, and Homunculus. Maybe Josie and Katie, since they were the one who banished Homunculus and forgot about him. Talk about bad parenting. Toby would slap me if I did something like that... outside of my illness,"_ she thought, clenching her fists and staring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Besides, people like me despite all the bad things I did! I've got nothing to worry about!" she said aloud in an attempt to cheer herself up.

It didn't work.

The more she pretended to be happy and cheerful, the worse she felt inside. She wasn't alright, she wasn't even okay. She hated being apart from Edward for so long. It had barely been two days but her heart ached horribly. After all the time she had spent glued to his side? She'd be nuts not to miss him even a little bit.

But she made herself smile, so people didn't ask annoying questions. And her smiles did become real when she was around her sister and children. Tobias was so much like Edward that sometimes she thought they were the same person. That wasn't true of course, but sometimes she just couldn't help herself. Especially when her memory slipped.

"Right, let's get this overwith!" she snapped at herself, pointing at the mirror. "You've got no time to be gloomy! You aren't the sad, weak little girl you used to be. You've got a family who needs you right now, when it's most important! You can get along perfectly well with out Ed!"

She paused and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

"Well, it's not that you don't need him, you just don't need to depend on him as much as you used to. You can stand on your own legs now, beside him," she added.

"Are you alright?" Sheska asked as she entered the bathroom.

"Yeah, just giving myself a pep talk. I haven't been in the military in a long time, so I wanted to make sure I didn't lose heart halfway through whatever you needed me for," she grinned.

"Well, you're going to need a lot of those for what the higher-ups needed you for," the bookworm mumbled.

"Why did I have to come down here? And weren't you stationed in Central?" the 'fairy' inquired.

"I'm not authorized to tell you that! It's a highly secretive mission and I was lucky just to be told about the basics," Sheska muttered.

"It's that bad, huh?" Christin groaned.

"It's worse," Roy's voice added. "Unfortunately, you can't decline. The two state alchemists most qualified for the job are out of town, as I'm sure you're aware, and you're the next best thing, being..."

"If you start calling me a fairy too I'm gonna kick your ass," Christin snorted.

"I was going to say that you're the next best thing, being experienced with life-threatening situations."

"Oh..." she replied. This did not sound good at all.

And it most certainly wasn't.

"You want me to get rid of Bluejay?" Christin exclaimed.

"Yes. Since both the Fullmetal Alchemist and the Soulbound Alchemist are unavailable, you were the next best thing. After all, you are the Fairy of the Military. Without you, we wouldn't have become as advanced artillery-wise as we are now. Not only weapons, but transportation and communication and technology in general have all advanced greatly. The Amestrian military would be nothing without you," a man with grey hair and a goatee replied firmly, wearing something that could be seen as a smirk.

"You just don't want to dirty your hands, do you?" she asked stiffly.

"It's nothing like that. We just believe you are the most qualified for this job, since the first two options are unavailable," he replied with a small smile.

"I see."

"You can't refuse," Roy whispered.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. His age was starting to show, with a single lock of greying hair flopping over his forehead and deep wrinkles forming around his eyes. Actually, those could've just been from lack of sleep or something. But the grey hair was real. It reminded her that time was going on, that she was aging and that soon she'd be dead. Everyone died at some time, but it was so much more... iminent for her.

"I accept. If you'll give me the proper documents, I'll be on my way," she replied even more stiffly. She sounded bored; she was bored. She'd rather be doing other things right now, but it didn't look like she had much of a choice.

"Are you alright? You look worn out," Roy commented when they were out of the office and were able to breathe freely.

"I haven't been sleeping well, that's all," she replied.

"Don't let it get to you. All the gossip, I mean. You've overcome so much so something like that shouldn't bother you. You're strong, like Ed," he rambled.

"Yeah..." she mumbled softly.

Something was bothering her, that much was clear. Maybe it was the separation. Those two had been together all the time since they met, so it was only natural that she would miss him. But there was something missing. Her eyes looked slightly vacant, slightly empty. That was wrong. It was almost like the life was being drained out of her.

"You know, you look exactly the same as when I first adopted you," he said.

"What?" she asked like the words didn't make sense.

"That gloomy look you had is back. I feel like you're going to burst into tears suddenly. It's okay to let yourself feel emotions, you know. There are people who care about you. You don't have to keep everything locked inside anymore."

That did it. The dam broke and she started crying.

"I can't do it!" she sobbed, clinging to him like she was a child. "The harder I try to be strong and keep smiling, the more I feel like slitting my wrists! It's like there's a monster inside me eating at my heart! I don't think I can do this anymore!"

Roy felt powerless. She had overcome so much and had become so strong, but she was also very weak because of that. She was perhaps... the most fragile person he had known in a while. Going through what she had... being so involved with it all... he was surprised she was still in one piece. But... he was proud of her.

"Yes, you can. I believe in you. You might not be my real daughter, but I love you as if you were. No matter what you've done or what you choose to do now, I'm proud of you and I always will be. I admire you for what you've done and what you overcame, but I also admire the part of you that is weak and vulnerable," he said gently, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Sorry... you must think I'm such a baby..." she said later.

"Nah," he shrugged, taking a drink from his coffee.

"I haven't grown up at all... crying like a child... I'm pathetic, aren't I?" she mumbled.

"Don't say that," he replied firmly.

"People... are calling me a fairy, you know. They give me all these titles and glory, when really I'm no different from anyone else. They don't know anything. All they see is a war hero who saved the world, when really I'm just a little girl trapped in an adult body. They don't know about me at all... they don't know that I'm weak, they don't know about my past, or why I have so many scars... the small ones, anyway. Peoples' ignorance can be truly astounding, can't it?" she said into her cup of tea.

"That depends on how you look at it," he replied. "Have you ever stopped to consider that they don't need to know the ugly truth behind everything? Suicide, rape... things like that are hideous and people want you to keep shining brilliantly like you did all those years ago. They knew about all that, in some way or another, but made nothing of it - chose to make nothing of it - because they liked seeing you in the light, not the darkness you were drowning in."

"They liked... the light?" she asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"Which would a typical girl prefer: a finely-cut polished jewel or a stone with pretty colors?"

She paused to think. "I guess I'd prefer the jewel, if I was a typical girl."

"And how much would that jewel cost?" he asked.

"Uh... a lot? I'm not one for expensive jewelry but I guess even cheap ones cost a couple hundred sens..." Why would she have to buy jewelry when she had someone who could make any kind of accessory she wanted, for free?

"And what about the really big, pretty ones?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" she asked dryly.

"Just answer."

"Um... a couple thousand sens?"

"Try a couple hundred thousand sens. Really expensive ones can cost as much as an automail hand, and that's pretty pricey. So, what did you learn?"

"Um... girls tend like expensive rocks?"

"And..." he prompted.

"Really nice rocks cost a lot?"

"Keep going..." he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Uh... stupid girls like expensive rocks, but it takes a lot of money to buy the really nice stuff. You can't get something nice if you don't give up something in return, and it has to be of equal value. The best things aren't free, and a lot of effort goes into making the thing that is the 'best' so you have to... oh. Oh!"

"So what did you learn?" he asked again.

"Equivalent exchange," she grinned. "Only something that's been worked for is really worth anything... I think." Her grin wilted and she hid her face behind her cup.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to make jewelry? The mines have to be dug, and the jewels have to be mined as well. They have to be cut and squashed and polished and formed and fitted and completely distorted before they can become something people will like."

"I still don't get it..." she pouted.

"He's saying that you're valuable because you've suffered. You were just a colored rock, but you've been through hardship after hardship and a little bit of raw material has been shaved off with each one you overcame, leaving a clean, polished jewel. Stop doubting your worth," Riza explained as she entered the apartment, Black Hayate yapping happily and leaping into Christin's lap.

"Oof! You're too big for this anymore, Hayate!" she grunted under the weight of the dog.

"See? Even Hayate still likes you," Riza smiled.

"The only person that hates you is yourself," Roy added.

"I don't... hate myself," she replied sourly. "I just dislike certain parts of myself."

"Is that really any different?" Roy asked.

"Stop it," Riza cut in, smacking him.

"Hey, would you mind if I stayed here tonight? It's just for one night, and I don't want anyone else to know how I'm feeling," she asked softly, absently petting the dog.

"But can't your son read..."

"Lay off already!" Riza snapped. "It's fine if you stay here. You can use your old room."

"Really? You... haven't remodeled it or something? Actually, I'm surprised you're still living in the same apartment. And how come you two haven't had any kids? I think you're past the age where you could concieve, not that there isn't any fun in trying, but still..."

"We have our hands full with a certain mischeivous little girl," Roy chuckled.

"Who?" Christin asked.

"Are you really that stupid?"

"I'm just playing. Lighten up," she laughed dryly. "I'm gonna call Aislinn and let her know I'm staying here tonight."

She shut herself in her room. It was almost exactly the same as it was when she had lived here all those years ago. She had been nineteen when Roy first saved her from the military... now she was practically being worshipped by it.

"Fairy... jewel... goddess... captain..." she muttered, leaning heavily against the door. "Those words mean nothing to me. My heart can't comprehend those words..."

She sank to the floor, tears flowing copiously from her eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, hoping she wouldn't burst into pieces. Her heart ached, it ached so much she didn't know what to do anymore. There was only one person who could really make her feel better, but that one person was very far away.

"My heart can't understand, because my heart's been taken from me. I said you'd captured my heart, but that didn't mean you had to take it with you when you left, Edward."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__3-11-11: Alright, this chapter I wanted to write very much._

_I want to thank a lady in the hospital waiting room for helping me finally decide what Christin (and Aislinn and Toby and everyone else with that kind of power) is. See, my brother had to go to the hospital because of some weird foot-virus he had, and I was stuck in the waiting room. Luckily, I had my sketchbook with me, and I was working on a picture of a character that'll show up in a story I'll start after Godsend is finished. She [the lady] had her baby with her and the baby kept looking at my drawing, and the lady called it a fairy (because the person had wings). I had recently watched Legend of the Guardians: the Owls of Ga'hoole ( a fantastic movie, by the way... absolutely stunning visuals) and had used the owls as a basis for the wings the character had (the person is kinda of like a chimera, but I can't tell you anything concrete because it'll ruin the story) so the person had owl wings. Well, I used the owl wings as a reference, but they were supposed to be just generic bird wings. Anyway, the lady thought I was drawing a fairy and a lightbulb went off in my head, only it was like a bomb exploding. I thought _'Oh my god, why didn't I think of THAT? A fairy! That's simply genius! She can be a fairy!'

_So Christin (and Aislinn and etc) are 'fairies' now. I feel a little weird that it took until book three to call her something. Maybe it's more like anger? No, frustration, maybe, is a better term._

_And maybe I fudged a little bit from the Nadesico movie. Y'know... the Cybernetic Fairy. Heh... what's funny is that Vic did the voice of the person who called Ruri 'the Cybernetic Fairy' in the movie, and now i'm kinda incorporating it into FMA. Weird._

_Of course, I gotta wonder how my ZeroxEd fic is working out... since Vic does the voice for both Ed and Zero (and Ichiru, but he wasn't in that fic so ha! [what am I laughing at?]) so, like... how weird would it be to talk to each other and hear a voice that is _**WAY**_ too similar to your own? I know I'd be bugging out._

_Sorry about the delay. My laptop was infected and I couldn't run any programs for a while. But now we're up and running and I'll keep doing my best, so please review and support me! *bow*_

_That's also why chapter 16's date is before this one's, because I wrote it while my laptop was infected and couldn't work on 15. And I wasn't gonna start it over because I already had too much written and didn't want to waste it._

_My friend gave me Suzuka. I love it! I love Todd! He's definitely one of my favorite voice actors._

_Until next time!_


	16. Contact

_16: Contact_

He was drunk.

He had to be. Why else would he be unable to stand up straight? He leaned against the wall for support.

"Alright, definitely time for bed," a voice said firmly but gently.

He saw a veil of golden hair framing a pretty face. He smiled.

"Prince!" he cried, flinging his arms around the blond.

Edward staggered under his brother's weight. The kid was completely wasted.

"Looks like he drank too much. I honestly thought that he would limit himself, considering he is the better mannered of the two of you," Elrin commented, getting on Alphonse's other side to help him stagger down the hall.

"It's probably the separation. Y'know, from home," Edward said gruffly.

"Yes, that might be it," she mumbled. "It might be that he is lonely. Perhaps he misses his wife?"

"That sounds about right," the blond chuckled. "It looked like he got along with Ethelfleda pretty good, but now he's probably got conflicting feelings about it."

"Ethelfleda and Aislinn are essentially the same, with minor differences given time period and upbringing. It is no surprise that they get along. It is like how we get along. I am a previous incarnation of the one you care for, and you are the next incarnation of mine…" Elrin mused.

"The prince I'm pretending to be?" he asked, lowering Alphonse onto the massive bed. Elrin had been a huge help navigating the massive castle.

"Yes."

"It's a little confusing. You look almost exactly like her, but you aren't her," he said wryly.

"My core has been the same throughout, though. The basic make-up of my soul never changes. You could even go so far as to say my emotions are the same throughout," she chattered, climbing onto the bed and wrapping her tail around her.

"It just sounds like a bunch of mystic mumbo jumbo," he snorted, taking off the crown he had been wearing. A symbol of a status he didn't really have, a class he could never be part of… right?

"Then it should not surprise you what I am, and what she is," the cat-girl grinned.

"What she is? Magical… I guess. It's the only word that fits her image," he shrugged.

"Then you have not heard?" she inquired.

"Heard what?"

"She's called The Fairy of the Military."

He had to laugh. He laughed so much his stomach ached. It was perfect. It was amazing how perfect that title was. The rhyme was a bit annoying but it was just so perfect! He fell on his back, pressing a hand to his stomach. Oh, he hadn't laughed like that in a long time. Come to think of it, this day felt interminably long. How much time had passed back home? Surely quite a bit, judging from his past experiences in the false dimension. But this was a strange half-dimension, so maybe the passage of time altered. He was tired, so tired. After walking for who knew how long that morning in rugged forest terrain… while it rained… then walking to and around this castle… why was the thing so large anyway? How many rooms did the king need? How many people spent the night after a crazy party like the one he had just left? Well, it wasn't crazy per say… just different. Parties back home were never this… unrestrained. He was certain that he had been scarred emotionally. Coming from a time when things were tightly reserved (though it was actually less so in recent years), the carefree rancor of the feast had thrown him for a loop. People had been drinking constantly and said anything and everything that entered their minds, they had sung old songs horribly off-key and almost started a strange sort of karaoke, everyone was shouting and screaming but no one cared; they were having too much fun to notice something like that.

"That's exactly like her," he sighed. He couldn't tell if the sigh was happy or full of longing. He chuckled at the mental image of her standing in a forest, with translucent wings coming from her back. It was exactly like her. Her manner, her frame, everything seemed to suit that image.

"Are you enjoying yourself here?" Elrin asked softly.

"Yeah, actually. Why?" he replied.

"There really is not much to teach you about my Hourglass, but the techniques take time to master. I would not want you to be uncomfortable while you learn. Of course, it may be hard to find discomfort in a lavish place such as this, but still… I care about your welfare. Physical comfort and emotional comfort differ greatly. You are a good man, and I do not want you to be unhappy," she said softly.

"It sounds like you're in love with me," Edward pointed out.

"Am I not, in a way? My next incarnation loves you, and you love her, do you not? So who is to say you are not in love with me."

"Maybe I am. You look and act so similar… I might lose control," he replied.

"Lose control?" she repeated.

"Sadly, yeah. I might do something you won't like if I'm not careful," he nodded firmly, sitting up and drawing one knee close.

"Is it really so different from what you would do with her? I have told you already: our cores are the same. I will tell you a secret," she grinned mischievously.

"Oh?" he asked.

"You are supposed to love her."

He blinked once, twice, three times. That made no sense. He did love her, with everything he had, but he was supposed to love her?

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Our souls are connected. Throughout time, your soul and mine have found one another. The same souls, the same feelings, over and over and over again in an endless cycle. All of our souls are connected. That is how you know everyone you know now. Because your soul is drawn to theirs in some way or another. You said yourself all those years ago that everything is connected into one great flow. 'All' joins together to become 'one' but without the 'all' the 'one' cannot function. Everything is connected: life energy, people, plants, animals… none of those things can exist without the others. It is the same with our souls. Through the course of time, our souls are broken down and reassembled when we die and placed into new bodies with a genetic make-up similar to the previous body, in what many people call 'rebirth'. It has been this way for eons. We are 'reborn' time and time again and we will always find one another because our souls are attracted to one another. Have you not wondered why humans are so desperate for companionship, and why they choose only certain people to become their companions?"

"Are you saying that all that 'soul mate' BS is actually true?" Edward blanched. It seemed like everything he knew about the world was being overruled lately. Maybe he really did see the world in black and white.

"In a way, yes," Elrin smiled.

"Stop talking, I'm getting a headache," he grumbled.

"That should not be something new," she pointed out.

"It's not your dizzying logic. It's the fact that everything I thought was true about the world actually isn't now that… well, ever since we met, I guess."

"We?"

"Me and her, not me and you. Though, according to you there isn't much of a difference," he snorted.

"There is not. The only differences are slight changes in appearance and how we were raised. I am sure you have noticed that my body is free of scars, unlike hers. There are differences in our speech as well. She uses your 'slang' when I do not. No, I think she created some 'slang' on her own…" Elrin mumbled.

"That's about right."

"Little brother, who are you talking to?" Ethelfleda inquired, entering the room.

She might be a princess, but she was also the eldest sibling. That gave her special privileges, such as being able to visit her younger siblings without and escort or previously made appointment, as she had to do with her parents. Not that the siblings minded; everyone got along so well here it was almost frightening. Edward, having been born and raised around the time of the Ishbalan conflict, was used to dissent and distrust between people. He fought with everyone he knew at one point or another, either physically or verbally. Occasionally both, but not very often.

"Uh… a cat spirit?" he suggested weakly.

"You can see spirits?" she asked skeptically.

"It might have something to do with my disappearance. I don't remember anything, so maybe the spirits did something to me," he continued. It sounded so strange when he said things like that. He occasionally made jokes about telepathy and other stuff, but now that there was more than an ounce of truth behind it all, he might as well have been speaking in Cretan. Sure he remembered a few words from that one time he went there all those years ago and his wife had transferred all her knowledge of the native language into his mind, but he didn't speak it often enough to remain fluent.

How had she done that, exactly? Perhaps it was a bit late to be pondering that, but better late than never. Maybe it was something to do with the mind-body-soul connection.

"Interesting…" the princess mused. She took a seat near him. Her hair, which had been bound tightly through the day, now hung in loose curls around her upper body. She looked so much like Aislinn, even though the only differences between the twins were amount of scars, automail, and hair straightness. Both had scars, though Christin's were more prominent and larger. Both had automail, but Aislinn's was outside her body whereas the other's was inside. Aislinn's hair was curly when the other's was mostly straight.

"It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I seriously think that's what happened," he laughed dryly to hide his nervousness.

"How fortunate for you, dear brother! It is said that one who can communicate with the spirits and the Asas will find great fortune and happiness," Ethelfleda smiled warmly.

"Lies and deception," Elrin hissed.

"It is late. I must retire to my chamber now, my brother. I will see you on the morrow. You will resume your studies with us, so do not worry about your memory loss," she stood and left the room.

"Humans are strange creatures. They think they know everything and if they get even a fraction of power they believe that the world is theirs. They know next to nothing of the mechanics of the world, how the universe operates. They think everything is under their control, or that they can control it. Really, they are weak and pathetic. Saying great fortune and happiness will come about because of association with the spirits is not entirely false, nor it is entirely true. It all depends on which spirit the individual interacts with, and what their idea of happiness is…" Elrin spat. "Even is a relationship is forged between a human and a spirit, it will not last. We outlive a number of humans and cannot allow ourselves to love others so easily. A prolonged life can be very lonely."

"Hey, easy now," Edward chided.

"Forgive me. Solitude can distort a person's perception of the world. It has been a while since I last found someone who can see me. That's why I am so glad I met you and your brother. Something changed between your life now and your life as the true prince, and you can see me," she said softly, her tail curling happily.

"He can't see you?" Edward inquired.

"I do not know if he cannot, or if he merely chooses not to. But I believe that some day he will see me and fate will play out once again, entwining us with our special bond that could never be severed."

"Don't worry about it. You said we've met each other over and over since time began. I'm sure it'll happen again in your life…" he replied.

He had to wonder if the events of his life played out repeatedly, if he met the same people and all. Would his mother die? Would his father run away again? Would he and Alphonse repeat their mistake? Would Hughes… King Alfred, that is… be murdered in cold blood again, by Envy's past life? Would an entire civilization be wiped out, like Ishbal? Would Aislinn… Ethelfleda… be murdered as well? Would Christin come close to death as many times as she already had? Would the country be in jeopardy again, and then the world? He did have a feeling that the King would be killed… if his memory served him correctly, the king was murdered and his eldest son Edward was crowned king after a conflict with Athelwold and that other one with the strange name, the cousins who wanted the throne. That was what the history book had said, at least.

"They may or may not happen again. That remains to be seen. But I can assure you that the king will die and you will take his place as King of Amestria. I will be by your side, to instruct you in the ways of a king, so you have nothing to fear," Elrin smirked.

"I have everything to fear!" he snapped. "I've never run a country before! Hell, I could barely manage my brother sometimes, let alone myself! I can't… rule a country…" he laughed dryly, like he had trouble grasping the concept.

"You can. I believe in you, but you must also believe in yourself. After all, you have done it before. Perhaps your subconscious will recall some princely mannerisms for you when you ascend the throne," she smirked.

"Hardy har, very funny," he snorted.

"I am not being comical. This is a serious issue you must tend to," Elrin said stiffly.

"Appaently you don't know about sarcasm yet either. How the hell do you people communicate?" he laughed softly.

"We can communicate just fine, in case you hadn't noticed," Elrin replied stiffly.

Edward laughed softly and fell back on his bed. The mattress was soft, so soft and comfy, and he was so tired. He watched as Elrin picked up Alphonse like he weighed no more than a feather and carried him to the divan, setting him down gently and drawing a blanket or two over him.

He was speeling now, perfect. Elrin easily shifted the blond so he was lying straight and covered him with the blankets. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping, almost like a carefree child.

Now was the perfect time.

She crawled on the bed and positioned herself comfortably. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, letting her mind clear.

"I really, really want you to be happy," she whispered. She felt herself slipping away, her consciousness leaving her body.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a black void. There was a small twinkling blue light hovering before her. Without looking, she knew she looked the same. The one before her was lighter, though, a lighter shade of blue. In the background were countless blue twinkling lights, almost like fireflies, each one a shade of blue lighter than the rest. She knew all the lights, and they knew her. Maybe not consciously, but they all knew each other. There was no real logical explanation, but that didn't matter right now.

All that mattered was _his_ happiness.

After all, he was the same as the one she loved. It was only fair she try to make him happy as well.

So what if there was a slight difference in time and upbringing? They were still the same, their core was the same. That was all that mattered.

His happiness.

"Alright. I'll only give you a few hours. I'm not allowed to do this, but I think an exception can be made just this once."

He awoke to someone moving around and muttering to themself. For a moment he thought it was Alphonse, but he had been moved to the divan before he had gone to bed. Then he remembered Elrin. He shifted his weight and rolled on his side, getting tangled in the heavy blankets and pushing some stray locks of hair out of his face.

He saw Elrin sitting up and looking around. What happened to her ears? Where had her tail gone?

She ran a hand over her hair, brushing it out of her face. She shifted her weight, leaning forward so she was on her knees. Her head turned in every possible direction, taking in the suroundings as if she was seeing them for the first time ever.

"Okay, I'm seriously tweaking right now. What the hell happened? I'm dreaming. I've gotta be dreaming," she muttered, running a hand through her long hair. She tugged on a lock. "OW! It hurts, that can't be good. Ahh, I'm gonna get my ass whooped for sure..."

It couldn't be. That just seemed impossible.

"Christin?"

She turned her head at the mentioning of her name, green eyes wide in astonishment.

"Holy flying waffles..."

* * *

_**Area 51 ½ **__3-9-11: this chapter I had to write somewhat independently. My laptop has all these viruses and I'm working on getting rid of them, but I can't run any of the programs so I had to work on this one in bits and pieces at school. I forgot my USB drive so I couldn't take it home to work on it. And chapter 15 was only 1/3 written when Gaku-tan started complaining about all the viruses. So I had to start this one… that's why the dates for the Areas are screwy._

_I got so confused when writing Elrin's mini monologue about 'soul connections' so I hope it makes sense. She's awfully insightful, isn't she? When Rin is kinda stupid… but Elrin is a magical spirit that has been alive for quite a long time this time around, so it makes sense that she would be so insightful and… I guess 'wise' is a good word. And Rin has her moments, occasionally. She hasn't had however-many-centuries to ponder the great mysteries of life like her previous incarnation._

_Speaking of Elrin, I hate writing her lines! I keep making them modern sounding and have to go back and change it so it fits Amestris over a thousand years ago! ARGH! Curse you Elrin, pick up some slang already! But it's only been about a day, so she wouldn't pick everything up all at once…_

_I'm so sorry about dragging this one day out so long. There's a lot I need to cover for the brothers, though, because they have this whole other world that needed to be set up. And Ed's mini welcome-back party… I was gonna go into detail about that, make it its own chapter, but decided 'no, this one day is already dragging on long enough… how many chapters are just for this first day again?' so I didn't._

_I kinda like the whole 'paradox' issue going on here. What would happen if Ed and Al met their past lives? It sounds like it shouldn't be possible, but it is… insert evil cackle here._

_Next chapter is special. (^_^)b_


	17. Closeness

_17: Closeness_

Edward laughed. "You haven't changed at all."

"You make it sound like you've been away for years. It's only been, like... two days," Christin retorted stiffly.

"It's not my fault I miss you when you're not around. Even just knowing you're in the same building as me gives me so much comfort..." he paused and folded his arms firmly across his knees and buried his face. Any moment now, it'd start...

"I'm so glad to see you..." she whispered.

He felt her arms slide around his waist. She rested her head on his back. If he closed his eyes, it was almost like things were normal again. Her slender arms, the way she held him, her scent... everything. One hand somehow found its way to hers and held them comfortingly. The other went to his face. He was facing away from her, but still wanted to hide the tears that flowed in rivulets from his eyes.

"Are you eating well? Taking care of yourself? How's Al doing, is he alright?" she chattered mindlessly, like a monkey would. He understood why, though.

His grip on her arm tightened slightly.

"Stop talking," he said firmly, hauling her onto his lap and kissing her ardently.

Words became useless sounds after that. Neither light nor darkness mattered, or even where they were. They were together again; that was all that mattered right now. It was eerily silent, but that was alright. Alphonse was close by, and volume control was necessary. They had learned that a long time ago, and were very good at it now. The only noises were soft moans and rushed breathing. Those sounds were comforting, familiar. They had been heard time after time and were welcomed sounds.

He was tired now. He had a long day, but he didn't want to sleep just yet. She wasn't sleeping either. They were just there, existing, enjoying the company of the other, pretending things were normal again.

"Would you still like me if I couldn't sleep with you?" she asked softly.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" he asked.

"Just answer," she said flatly.

"Don't be silly, of course I would. You're... everything to me. I didn't fall in love with you —

marry you — because I wanted to sleep with you. Well, not entirely," he replied.

She laughed softly, absently tracing the soon-to-be scars she had made on his chest. He truly enjoyed being around her. He could be honest with her... honest with his own feelings. There were some things he couldn't even tell his brother. But he could tell her, and she would listen. She was like that.

And she could be honest with him. Granted, she was like that with almost everybody, but there were some things only he was priviledged to know.

"They're calling me a 'fairy' now."

"Ugh," he grunted. "I seriously doubt you enjoy that."

"I hate it. I'm so sick of being a media darling. I'm... being forced to work on the Bluejay case. Because you and Al aren't there, they're forcing me to do it."

"Is that smart?"

"I don't have a choice, Edward. It's obvious those bastards in the military don't give a damn about who you are as a person, so long as you wear that uniform and obey their orders like an obedient little dog," she sat, sitting up.

He sighed heavily. The military... it had gotten better since King Bradley had been outed, but it still had its problems.

"They don't care about you... or your relationship to a person unless it gives you status... or your feelings. I killed that murderer's brother, Ed. I might get killed if I work on this case."

"You're dying anyway. Does it really matter that much if its by natural causes or by a psycho?"

Stupid move.

"Yes, it does," she replied sourly, glaring at him from over her shoulder. "I don't want my life to end by someone else's hand. I want my life to end with me in control of it. But you've only died once, so what would you know?"

"So once isn't on the same level as half a dozen? In case you've forgotten, I was killed too. In cold blood, by my goddamn half-brother. Because my father was a douchebag. I suffered for someone else's greivance. It doesn't matter why or how it happened, _I died_, Christin. You should know that more than anyone else, both you and Al," he retorted, his tone just as sour.

"I'm sick and tired of people trying to glorify me. I don't need their affection, their hollow words and lip service, I don't want it. I just want them to leave me alone. That's why I insisted on living in Resembool. To get **away** from all that. Now I'm being forced into everything again. My life has been so god damn hard... because I made it that way," she finished softly.

"It's not your fault," he said lamely.

"Yes, it is. If I had been stronger, if I had acted properly, nothing bad would've happened. If I had just... stayed here in this world, we wouldn't have met and your life wouldn't have become a living hell. You wouldn't have had to kill your child, wouldn't have had to come close to death so often, wouldn't have had to get so hurt... I am... a _catalyst_ for so many of the events in our life together... how can you not hate me for what I've done to you, to Al, to everyone?" she asked firmly.

"Stop blaming yourself. Stop pretending to be strong. It's okay to be weak, I've told you that over and over," he snapped.

"But I don't want to be," she insisted. "That's completely different. I am weak, I'm very weak... but I want to be strong like you. I'd probably never survive what you went through as a kid... the transmutation and all that... I'm not as strong as you, Edward."

How was he to respond to that? He averted his eyes so he wouldn't look at her and say another stupid thing.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to sound so..." she started.

"It's fine, I understand you well enough to not need an explanation," he said, smiling a bit.

"I'm so glad I met you..." she said through tears.

At a loss for words once again, he held out a hand. She launched herself at him and cried into his chest. Her arms were slender, but held him close with all the strength in the world. The feeling would pass eventually and she would become cheerful again.

It was funny... she had changed so much since they had first met. She used to be so gloomy, like she was always sad about something. Gradually, she had began changing. She was so much mroe open, more friendly... she allowed people to see into her heart, when before she had such impenetrable defenses. But he had broken through them, all of them. Just like she had found 'him' he was positive that he had found some secret 'her' she had locked away inside her heart.

"You know, you've got a really well-formed body," she said a while later.

"What?" he half laughed.

"I'm serious, you're so toned. Even when you were younger you had a nice body," she continued, running a hand over his chest.

"You're just now noticing this?" he asked.

"No, I noticed it a long time ago, I just never made anything of it. What's your secret?" she asked playfully.

"A life of living hell," he replied stiffly. "You ought to know that; you shared part of it."

"You mean caused part of it," she corrected.

"Quit blaming yourself."

"I can't help it. It's my fault that all that happened... Dies Irae, The War of Deception... Aislinn's death, Al's near-death and conversion to a Homunculus... your near-death... so many fights and battles... I'm truly amazed that no one hates me."

"The only one who hates you is yourself. If you'd open your eyes and look around, you'll see dozens of people who like you. Al, Aislinn, Mustang, Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery, Ai, Toby, Winry, Sheka, the cockroach, Rose, Dusk, Dawn, Russell, Fletcher... me..." he listed. "Especially me. Definitely me, I married you for Pete's sake."

"Who's Pete?" she asked with a small laugh.

"How many times have you asked me that?" he replied in a similar tone.

"Countless, and each time you've told me you have no idea," she grinned.

"So stop asking me that," he snickered.

"Some prodigy you are!" she scoffed. "Doesn't even know who Pete is."

"Alright, alright, you got me. He's my mom's cousin's brother's friend's grandma's aunt's father's second uncle's work associate's nephew's niece twice removed."

"Sorry, I don't speak Edwardian that fluently," she laughed dryly.

"Just like how I'm still learning Christinese," he retorted with a smug grin.

"So... have you solved the problem yet? Josie hasn't been around lately so I can't ask him..."

"Actually, we kinda fixed it, but not really."

"You sound like me. That can't be good."

Edward sighed. "We screwed up and went back too far. It fixed the problem for now, but I'm pretty sure it'll arise again soon."

"That's problematic. I wish I could be of more help to you..." she mumbled, averting her eyes.

"Same here."

"You have your own issues to deal with. Don't burden yourself with mine. I'm a big girl now and can manage a few days on my own." She paused, then added: "Besides, it's mostly looking after the kids and housekeeping and stuff."

"I've done that before."

"So shouldn't I have a turn? They're my kids too, you know," she sassed.

"Oh, I know that. You've screamed at me 'It's all your fault' plenty of times," he huffed.

"Because it is. I wouldn't have gotten pregnant if it weren't for you," she replied crisply.

Edward sighed, unable to come up with a comeback. Christin laughed softly.

"Toby's really starting to look like you. His eyes are kinda turning green, though."

"That explained why they were green during that damned war. He has your eyes," he mumbled absently.

"That's to be expected, though, I am his mother," she snickered.

"Who else would be?" he snorted.

"What the hell kind of question is that?"

"It's just a question, geez," he huffed, rolling on his side so he was facing away from her.

"Did I upset you?" she asked, leaning over him a bit.

He glanced at her over his shoulder. Her eyebrows were drawn back with worry and her eyes were wide.

"I didn't mean to, if I did. It's just that... normally when there's a prolonged separation between a married couple, some sort of problem arises and they end up getting a divorce, or at least a separation. I don't want that to happen to us. It happened to my false parents; it was one of the reasons I tried to kill myself. It's hardest on the kids. Dawn and Dusk might not understand it at first and I'm sure Tobias can cope, but I don't want them to go through what I did. Especially, Tobias, he's been through so much already and he's still so young. I don't want people to suffer needlessly. I know that we have our arguments every now and then, that's normal, but I don't want something so big... so unsettling... to happen that we split up. I don't want to lose you, Edward. I love you more than anything else in my entire life... I couldn't bear it if that happened!" she sobbed, rubbing her eyes with a fist.

He could see the scars on her arm in the dim lighting. The large one on the back of her hand, and the longer thin ones lacing up her arm. They were very old now, and could only be noticed because of the faint discoloration and their shimmery surface where the new skin had grown.

"That won't happen," he said firmly, after a pause.

"Huh?"

"You and me... we can't split up. It's just not possible," he explained.

"That sounds so unlike you," she blubbered.

"I'm under the influence of some creepy cat-spirit that really reminds me of you," he replied.

"A past life?" she asked.

"How'd you figure that out?" he asked.

"Hey, it's my specialty, now that I'm a magical fairy," she said sternly.

"You're actually going along with that BS?" he laughed.

"What else can I do? I mean, apart from think of an excuse to get out of work..." she mumbled, looking away.

"Will you be able to handle it on your own?" he inquired.

"I won't be on my own, actually," she said smugly.

"You won't?"

"Nope..."

"If you say something stupid I'm gonna hit you."

"I won't be alone because I have lots of friends, thanks to you."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 3-29-11: Sorry about the _**HUGE**_ delay. I'm sure you've all had writer's block at least once... and prolonged power outages, I'm assuming. Oh, before I forget, there's this song that's played on my local radio station that totally reminds me of the relationship Ed and Rin have. I don't know the name, but some of the lyrics are 'Her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining, her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying...' I love that song! I've heard it three times today! It reminds me so much of Ed for some reason... another song that reminds me of Ed just came on... I think that one's called I Can Be Your Hero or something..._

_Um... nothing particularly interesting has been going on lately. My mom dragged me and my brother down to LA a few weekends ago, so that was... interesting. I spent half the time playing with my godsister (I think that's right... my godmother's daughter...) and the other half watching the Funimation Channel. Hetalia is bad-ass. I mean, it always has been, but now that I've seen the anime (or at least parts of it) it feels so much more BA. I absolutely adore Todd's voice._

_Speaking of Todd, my friend gave me Suzuka. I really liked it, and it is highly recommended. I'm not a big sports person (it's about track and field, mostly) but I really enjoyed Suzuka. He was perfect for Yamato._

_Now... I just need to get my hands on some Trinity Blood... Abel Nightroad rocks my socks._

_I watched the Joy Luck Club last week. It was surprisingly good. It's about all these Chinese women that are friends and their relationships with their mothers and daughters. In short... life sucked for them back in China. The mothers of the daughters in the movie, I mean. The movie is mostly flashbacks of all the different women. I think my mom has a book somewhere... I think it's one of those movies-based-on-a-book thing. I mean, it said 'based on the book' in the opening credits. I also want to read Memoirs of a Geisha. That's one of my favorite live-action movies._

_Um... things will start getting intense soon. I can't say too much, but life will become a living hell for some (meaning most) of the characters. The main ones, obviously, the four that the entire Godsend trilogy has circled around._

_Uh, there will be two 'convergence' chapters, where the four main charas interact despite the separtion. They'll be placed here and there, usually around some major event or occurrence._

_One of my friends ate moldy donuts on accident. They were white powdered donuts and had white mold on them, apparently. She called it 'mothball flavor' and hadn't eaten enything until lunch the next day. I thought it was funny, but then I thought 'I've consumed strange things. I once drank a full cup of spoiled milk and eaten cereal with spoiled milk', so I really shouldn't be laughing. That's why I don't like milk anymore, because I've consumed spoiled milk one time too many. It's not because I'm so fangirlishly in love with Edward that I've altered my food preferences to match his. We just happen to be similar, that's all. That's all, I swear on my manga/anime collection... on my own grave, even. Seriously..._

_See you next time! Have I mentioned that I type the bulk of the Areas before the rest of the chapter? I usually get a few paragraphs in before I zoom down here and chat about random crap. It's weird... I wonder why I do that and how I started doing that..._

_Alright, once again I beg your forgiveness. The power keeps going out because of all these winter storms but hopefully the updates will come more often once the weather improves, assuming of course that I don't get writer's block. But I have discovered the cause of the blackouts: chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts. I've noticed that each time my mother buys me a box of them, the power goes out because of a storm. So chocolate fudge Pop-Tarts have bad juju. But once I finish eating them all (there are only two packets left anyway) I'll stop getting them and the power will stop going out. Hopefully... I can see my breath in my room. That just ain't right... and I have school this week, so how the hell am I gonna shower if there's no hot water?_

_See the latest chapter of 'When Angels Aren't Watching Us' for more (yucky) details about the delay. I'll write about it in the next Area too, so maybe you won't have to after all... Godsend Area, I mean. I usually put an Area in every chapter of each story I write... read the other story too anyway, because I told you to and I really like the chapter. They're dated differently because I wrote them kinda backwards. I got the idea for one, then the idea for one that happened before that, and another idea that occurs before that one._


	18. Chance

_18: Chance_

"What lovely wings," Elrin said smugly, running her hands along the edge of the white fabric and tracing the metal wings pinned to the collar. "I wonder what they symbolize. Surely something grand, if they are on such a splendid uniform."

She glanced around the room. It was strange, and there were many foreign objects. She walked away from the uniform, which hung from the open closet door, ready to be used. There was an open book on the table near the wall, and the desk was covered with papers. A sharp ringing made her jump and her ears flattened against her head.

"What a strange sound. Is it an animal?" she asked aloud, looking for the source.

There was a contraption on the table. It had a square base and something that could be seen as a strange tree branch rested on top. It moved slightly each time the noise was made. Carefully, she picked it up.

"Sis?" a female voice asked. "Hey, you there ugly?"

"Greetings..." Elrin said carefully. What a marvelous device! It was intelligent enough to speak on its own.

"Greetings? What happened to 'hello'? Hey, your kids want to know when you're coming home."

"Oh... Princess," Elrin smiled, speaking into one of the strange knobs. "How on earth did you get inside there?"

"Princess? Have you been drinking? Why are you staying at Roy's place? You should follow your own advice and deal with the separation just like I am."

"Oh, that is right. You have a different name in this life. How foolish of me to think otherwise," Elrin mumbled to herself.

"Are you alright? You're talking awfully funny."

"It is Aislinn, is it not? Your name this time around?" the cat-girl asked.

"This time around? Alright, stay there, I'm coming over."

"Y-yes," Elrin replied.

There was a strange clicking sound, like a door closing. She stared at the talking contraption before putting it back.

"How will she get out of the device?" she asked aloud.

"What's going on? You're making an awful lot of noise," a female voice asked, the owner knocking on the door.

Elrin went and opened it, timidly poking her head out. There was a tall blond woman standing in front of the door, her arms folded firmly across her chest and a jacket draped over her shoulders.

"Elizabeth?" she asked.

"Elizabeth?" the blond replied.

"My, what strange garments. What land did they come from?" she inquired, picking up the sleeve of the jacket with her thumb and forefinger. It was soft and warm.

"You mean my cardigan? It came from here. Hey, what's with the ears?" the blond who looked like Elizabeth asked.

"My ears are like anyone else's. Everyone needs ears and I do not see what is so strange about mine. I am a cat spirit after all," Elrin replied matter-of-factly.

"What's going on?" a male asked wearily.

"Your daughter is acting strange again," the blond replied.

"Again? What's with the ears and tail?" a man with black hair and an eyepatch asked.

"Why do you two continue to ask such mundane questions? Surely you know the answers. You are smart people, even though you are just normal humans, and I do have high expectations but I do suppose that considering the circumstances I can lower them for this one instance," Elrin continued.

"I will introduce myself. My name is Elrin, and i am a great cat-spirit."

"Call me crazy, but I don't think that's the brat," Roy whispered to Riza.

"What gave it away? The speech patterns or the ears?" she whispered back.

"Ah, the Princess is here!" Elrin exclaimed, hurrying to the front door of the apartment.

"Alright, missy, you'd better start explaining this or I'm gonna get really pissed off!" Aislinn snapped.

"Oh, Princess, I beg of you, do not pull me ears so!" elrin whined as Aislinn dragged her into the living room.

"Sorry for the intrusion. I know you're her adoptive parents, but I'm her blood relative and think I should handle this," Aislinn huffed, brushing a stray curl out of her face.

"By all means," Riza nodded.

"Okay, start explaining. What the hell is wrong with you. I know you've had your 'moments' in the past, though given the circumstances of those situations I really can't blame you, but this really takes the cake!" Aislinn snapped.

"I traded places with the one you think me to be," Elrin said with a grin. "In a manner of speaking, of course."

"Come again?" Aislinn said flatly.

"The persona you know as 'Christin' and the persona known as 'Elrin' are one and the same, we are merely different versions of the same soul. I want you three to listen and listen well, because I shall only explain this thoroughly once," Elrin said smugly.

"I'd better sit down for this one," Roy sighed.

"Very well," Elrin nodded as the man pulled out a chair and sat down.

"What do you mean you're the same? How is that even possible? Souls weaken as life does on and when we die we go to heaven, right? How can you and my sister be the same?" Aislinn demanded.

"Souls do weaken as life continues, but they do not simply cease existing. They undergo a complex process of deconstruction and reconstruction after the body perishes. You can liken it to your 'alchemy' if you so desire. When the body dies, the soul becomes free because the mind can no longer maintain control of it. The mind and soul are then analyzed and broken down into different components. The body is broken down as well, but is not reused like the soul and mind. The mind can only attach to certain vessels that have a similar element. That is part of the reason why different generations of the same family exhibit similar traits. Do you follow so far?"

"The body and soul are connected by the mind, which is only compatible with certain vessels..." Aislinn mumbled, biting her lip. "Then... what about when my husband's soul was bound to a suit of armor?"

"He was compatible, obviously. His mind was able to bond with the armor because there was an element in the armor that was also in his body. And his soul was able to live in the armor as well, because his mind was compatible." Elrin leaned back in her seat and crossed one leg over the other.

"Now, there are also certain people a soul is compatible with. This explains why only certain people get along when others do not. Now, after the soul is broken down, the pieces are scattered and... you would call it 'upgraded' while a new body is formed. The soul, upgraded to fit its new life, is implanted in the body and the person is 'reborn.' They meet the same people and live out thier new life until they die once more and the whole process is repeated."

"How do the soul components get upgraded?" Roy inquired.

"As a person ages, their soul wears out. Some parts are also worn and become nonexistent. These missing pieces are replaced with what was lost, but they are improved to fit the new life they will help carry out. They are also altered to fit the world the person will live in. This can include knowledge of terrain or speech patterns, as you can clearly see are different in 'Elrin' and 'Christin.' I am surprised you did not know this. It is very basic information," Elrin replied.

"I'm not in the business of creating life," Roy chuckled.

"Obviously not. Your only child is my reincarnation, and you are not even bound by blood. Well... I suppose that means Aislinn is also your child, because she is my 'sister' and that Edward is your son-in-law, making him your 'son' and that would also make Alphonse your 'son' however indirectly it may be," Elrin mumbled.

"Would you mind getting her out of here?" Roy grumbled.

"Not at all. Sorry about that, I have no idea what's gotten into her," Aislinn replied, reaching into her purse and pulling out a handkerchief.

"What are you doing?" Elrin exclaimed.

"I'm taking you back to my apartment. I left Ai in charge but I don't want to be away for too long with the two infants. You clearly can't function in this world and I'm going to lock you up for good until this whole thing is over," Aislinn hissed, tying the handkerchief around Elrin's head to hide her ears. "Please try to keep your... tail... under control until the alcohol has cleared itsle ffrom your bloodstream."

"Why is it that you think I am intoxicated?" Elrin sighed.

"Because you're spouting nonsense like some radical religious nutcase!" Aislinn shrieked.

"You are not used to it?"

"Not on this level. The nonesense I'm okay with, but what scared me is the nonesense actually made some sort of sense. That is not okay," the elder twin sighed.

"Very well, I shall comply. I know she has a reputation to uphold; I will behave myself while in your company," Elrin nodded. "It would not do for the captain of the military's air fleet to be seen like this," she gestured at the tail.

"Take your uniform with you. You have to report for duty tomorrow," Riza instructed.

"It is not my uniform, but very well," Elrin shrugged, fetching the white uniform and folding it neatly. She tucked it under her arm and followed Aislinn out the door.

"I called because I was worried about you and you go and get sloshed..." Aislinn griped. "Not the best way to handle the situation, twin. I can't handle my kids, Santi, and your three kids all by myself. It's not like we have any living blood relatives I can ask for help anyway. And you've got your job to think about on top of everything. I'd ask Winry or someone for help, but I don't want to sound needy and I don't want to involve anyone else. I know they're all friends of the brothers, but this is just between us four, you know? I need you; you're probably the only one I can depend on right now. Ai and Toby are reliable because of what they've been through with the war, but they're still just kids."

"You do realize that I am not 'Christin' do you not?"

"Will you knock it off already? That's getting old!"

"Knock what off?"

"Ugh!" Aislinn threw up her hands in disgust.

"I apologize if I am becoming a nuisance, Aislinn."

"...I forgive you. You and Ed have been together ever since you met, right? I suppose I can't blame you for acting strange in the face of a sudden, prolonged separation. Just... don't do anything that might hurt the kids, okay?" she urged gently, taking Elrin's hands. "You have people who need you, people you need to take care of and protect with everything you've got. You might be dying... but you're alive now and there are people who need you. The whole country needs you. I know you don't like hearing that after what happened, but it's the truth."

"I know. The country needs you too," Elrin replied. "Everyone has a special reason they're alive. It may seem like you've fulfilled your reason with the past war, but you're still needed in this world... in this life."

"Now that sounds like the sister I know and love," Aislinn smirked.

"I had hoped it would. That 'slang' is a bit confusing but I do think I managed to muddle through well enough. Did I convince you?"

"That's it; I'm putting you to bed," Aislinn sighed, unlocking the door and holding it open. Elrin stepped inside and waited for further instruction.

"This way," a boy said. "Your room is down this hall. Please follow me."

"Yes," Elrin replied.

"I'm Tobias, second eldest son of your reincarnation and Edward. You don't need to explain anything to me," he smiled up at her.

"Of course. You can traverse one's mind, can you not? A desirable trait."

"Toby, you're supposed to be in bed at this hour. Get back to bed and let me..." Aislinn started.

"Do you not trust me with the care of my own mother?" he demanded. "I am not as little as I appear. I am older beyond my years because of that damned war."

"Language, young man," Aislinn chided.

"Nag, nag, nag. Dad's been cursing since he was my age," Tobias snorted.

"Don't follow in his footsteps," she countered.

"But why ever not? His father is a great man who has done and will do many great things for both himself and for others. One cannot be judged by one factor alone. That is a great folly," Elrin contradicted.

"Leave my mother to me. You must be tired after such a long day. You need your rest to keep up after the little monkeys you two have sired," Tobias smirked.

"Well, alright. Just make sure you get to bed soon. You have school tomorrow," Aislinn nodded after a pause. She turned and headed to her bedroom, checking on the younger children in the process.

"Yes," he grinned.

"Thank you. I fear she does not believe what I have told her," Elrin sighed.

"That wouldn't surprise me. I'm sure you're aware of the situation," he laughed. "I think she's worried because my mom tried to kill herself several times. I don't know if that's true or not; I wasn't alive when she tried and I've been too scared to find out on my own now. I asked my dad about it, and Marcus too, when he was alive, but they got this weird look on their faces and wouldn't answer me. They said she'd tell me when she was ready."

"She will. You are her son, are you not? A child deserves to know his or her parents. As you know yourself, soon you shall know your parents. Your mother will turn to you for support in due course and you will need to be there," Elrin nodded understandingly.

"Of course. I'm the oldest child now. Well, not out of all the childen, but of my immediate family I am the oldest and as such have certain responsibilities."

He shouldered open a door and gestured for Elrin to enter. She set the folded uniform on the table nearest the door and looked around. It was rather simple, like the room she had woken up in. There were a few open books here and there, some discarded garments on the floor, piles of papers scattered everywhere, and some dirty dishes. Nothing extravagant, no special decorations. But then, supposedly, this wasn't her reincarnation's normal home. She was living here temporarily in light of the situation. She pulled the handkerchief off her head and set it next to the uniform.

"You should get some rest too. That body will need it for tomorrow. I'll leave you to your devices, then... call me if you need anything," he shrugged and headed for the door.

"Wait. Do not leave just yet. The hours this 'switch' have been permitted are almost up. she will need comforting when she wakes up. Please stay," Elrin said as she sat on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chest. She held out a hand.

"Alright, if you say so," he nodded and approached her.

He climbed into bed with her, like he had when he was younger. The only differences were that his father wasn't there and his mother wasn't exactly his mother at the moment. He slept lightly, for a while, but a soft gasp woke him.

"No... oh, please, no... god damn it..." he heard his mother mutter brokenly.

"Mommy..." he whispered, placing a hand on her arm gently.

"Toby... Toby!" she sobbed, hugging him fiercely.

He couldn't remember seeing her so sad. It was like each tear that fell from her eyes was a knife jabbing into his heart. He hugged her back and let her cry. It was the only thing he could do.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__3-29-11: alright, this one came pretty easily. I am really sorry it took me so long to get an update out. I honestly don't know why it took that long. Well power outages at the beginning of last week and sudden illness. I went to the hospital because I was throwing-up a lot, and the damned hospital made me catch a cold! I can eat now, but I can't breathe! Through my nose at least..._

_I feel a little strange watching the old anime when I've been only watching the new anime since I got it. I'm talking about the FMA anime, obviously. It's a little weird because the styles of the animation differ (and the plots, but that goes without saying) but all the same characters are there, mostly, but they _aren't_ the same. You know?_

_I still love the songs in the old anime._

_Alright, I didn't want to do this since I finally stopped, but..._

_I BEG OF YOU, PLEASE REVIEW! I NEED THEM, REALLY, I DO! I ONLY HAVE TWO CONSISTENT REVIEWERS AND I LOVE THEM TO DEATH BUT I NEED MORE! I NEED TO KNOW MORE THAN THREE PEOPLE ARE READING THIS STORY! Uh, my two dedicated readers and myself, obviously, are the three people I know read Godsend._

_Well, I have been getting some emails about book one so maybe it's still popular? I probably have a limited audience, though... I blame the OC's._

_not that you need to know, but I went shopping today. I got like... six new bras because the ones I have now keep breaking and I broke another when I tried to fix it. The wires keep poking out of the fabric and the hooks keep getting bent outta shape. My mom also bought me a purse with monkeys on it. If the need or desire ever arises in which case you need to send me a gift but don't know what to get me, send me either FMA merchandise of something with a monkey on it._

_Actually, I'm a Monkey in the Chinese zodiac. I used to think I was a Rooster but because I was born in early January I'm a Monkey. Apparently, I haven't been factoring in the Chinese New Year, which falls around the end or beginning of February._


	19. Detachment

_19: Detachment_

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since the separation began, and things had resumed some normality. The children went to school and played with their friends. Errands were run and the apartment was cleaned each time it got dirty enough that cleaning was needed. Each day seemed hotter than the last as summer slowly crept towards its peak.

Actually, the only thing that wasn't seemingly normal, Aislinn couldn't help but notice, was that her sister was more and more withdrawn as time passed.

"Welcome home," she said as brightly as she could.

"Hey..." Christin mumbled half-heartedly, not even bothering to raise her head. She began removing her jacket and walked down the hall to the bathroom to shower, like she did every day after coming home from work.

"Something is definitely wrong," the elder twin huffed, leaning against the kitchen counter and staring intently into her coffee cup.

"I'm sure it's just the separation," Ai said in a snooty, know-it-all tone.

"You don't know that," Aislinn snorted.

"You don't know anything," Tobias grunted, pushing his chair back into place at the table. "You only say things like that because you want others to think you're intelligent, when really you're just an obnoxious little girl."

"Obnoxious? Mother, did you hear him?" Ai whined, her ringlet curls bouncing as she stomped her foot.

"I did, I'd say you deserved it. You've gotten awfully bratty as of late. You're lucky I don't punish you more than I do," Aislinn replied crisply.

"Stuck up city girl," Tobias scoffed.

"Country bumpkin," she spat back.

"Alright that's enough," Aislinn cut in sharply. "Ai, finish your homework."

"Why's Toby getting up then?" she whined.

"Because I already finished mine. If you quit complaining about every single thing, you might accomplish something as well," he whistled, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"If anyone's a brat it's you! I swear, sometimes you're exactly like..."

Ai didn't finish her sentence. The glare Tobias shot her over his shoulder was a vicious as a rabid dog and as cold and piercing as a shard of ice. One eye hidden by his hair and half his face covered in shadows from the fading sunlight, his golden eyes and hair seeming to glow in the fiery sunset... truthfully, he frightened her.

"Go ahead, say it. I dare you," he spat dangerously.

"I... I wasn't going to..." Ai blubbered.

"But you thought it," he retorted. "That's even worse."

"Ohh... you two, quit arguing or else," Aislinn sighed as an infant's cries carried through the house.

"You just don't know when to shut up sometimes, do you?" Tobias asked rhetorically. He turned on his heel and stormed down the hall to his mother's room. As sullen as she was lately, he felt most comfortable around her.

The water was hot and seemed to bite into her skin. Christin didn't care, of course, since she had set it on that temperature that was so hot it felt almost cold. She reclined against the back of the bathtub, her long hair sticking to her skin in wet clumps. It annoyed her, honestly. The only reason she kept it long was because Edward liked it that way. It was a pain to shampoo and took ages to dry, even if she stood outside for hours on end in the summer heat.

Steam filled the air, covering the bathroom with a layer of wispy white, but she could still see her reflection in the bathwater. She looked the same as always, yet somehow she also looked different.

"Fairy of the Military..." she muttered, holding her hands out over her reflection. "What a load of bullshit that is."

She plunged her hands into the water, distorting the reflection. If only everything associated with that damned face could be as easily distorted. Especially recently...

* * *

_"Are you Miss Fallbrook?" a young man inquired sweetly._

_"Mrs. Elric," she had replied stiffly._

_"I'm James, I knew your sister when we were younger. I don't know if she's mentioned me or not..." James laughed awkwardly._

_"Oh... yeah, you're the younger brother of that bastard. Sorry, sorry, I meant you're the brother of Robin McLean," she said, covering her face with her hand._

_"Oh, that's alright. He was a bastard. I... I want to apologize for the suffering my brother has caused you and your family. I know what you've been through must have cost you a lot both physically and mentally and that this apology from some third party member may not mean as much but..." he trailed off and looked at the ground._

_"Apology accepted. You know, James, in a strange way I think your brother actually helped me with some things in my life. After he raped me, I carried his child. That child grew up and helped save the world, as corny as that sounds," she snickered. "Without him, I don't think we'd be standing here today."_

_"Right, you were in the war... So, um... I hope you won't think this is sudden, but would you like to get something to eat? Aislinn talks about you so much and I just couldn't help wanting to get to know you for myself. She told me you hate being glorified, but I really admire what you've been doing, in spite of all that's been going on," James smiled sheepishly._

_"I really ought to get to work, but if Aislinn's told you anything of worth it's that I love to procrastinate," she grinned._

_"Great, I know the perfect place," James clapped his hands together._

_She followed him through the city, against her better judgment. This man, however charming and airheaded he seemed to be, was the brother of the man who had ruined her life. According to some unwritten rule, that made them enemies. Of course, she had killed his brother (and Aislinn had, too) so the 'enemy' sentiment might very well be mutual._

_"This looks like a regular apartment building," she said as he held the door open for her._

_"That's why hardly anyone knows about it," James smirked._

_"Oh. Okay." She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be doing this. She was married with kids, so she shouldn't be out with men outside the family alone like this. She tugged at the collar of her military uniform. The thing was made from thick fabric that didn't breathe at all, so despite the fact that it was only ten in the morning she was sweating up a storm like it was the middle of the afternoon. Long sleeves and a high collar didn't help much either._

_"You look uncomfortable. Is it the heat? Maybe you should take off your jacket," James suggested as he opened another door and ushered her inside._

_"I forgot how much I hate the summer," she sighed, shrugging out of the white garment. It had been cleaned recently, since she had to wear it again for her job as a stand-in state alchemist. Curse Edward and Alphonse for being screwed up and having to go back in time._

_"You really are as stupid as they say," James snickered. The clicking of the lock seemed to echo in her head._

_Damn her! She knew something wasn't right! Why did she follow him?_

_"I've heard that you're working on the Bluejay case. Pretty gnarly stuff, if I do say so myself. But you have to admit I do a very nice job," he snorted._

_He tugged on a lock of her hair and made her lose her balance. Something hit her hard in the stomach and she crumpled to the ground, coughing wetly. She tasted blood in her mouth. A hand roughly grabbed the back of her head and yanked it backwards. That had happened before, many times, but it had been for pleasure instead of pain. And the one usually doing it knew better than to pull too hard. This was entirely different. This was for pain._

_"According to my dear friend your sister, you're in your thirties. I have to say you don't look a day over twenty-two, and I mean that literally. Most people say that because they're being polite, but if you were done up correctly, I bet you could pass for a teenager," James laughed, tracing the scars on her left arm._

_She couldn't speak. It was going to happen again. It was going to happen to her again and she was just as powerless as the last time. Why... why was she so useless? She couldn't even defend herself! How could she protect her family... the children she loved so dearly... how?_

_"First, let's get rid of that uniform. It's way too formal. I know your husband was in the military as a teenager, but he wasn't a uniformed lackey and these things make someone look far older than they are," he chattered, taking his time in neatly folding her jacket and placing it on the table. He crouched down and inspected her._

_"N-no..." she muttered weakly._

_"No? But you look so much better. Black suits you, and the sleeveless shirt really enhances your scars and makes you seem tough. I know black and white is a classic color combination, but that skirt just isn't working."_

_"Don't touch me!" she snapped, swatting his hands away as he reached for her waist. "Don't you dare touch me."_

_"You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?" he asked haughtily, grabbing her head and slamming it into the tile floor._

_She cried out in pain. She knew that if she did anything, she'd only be hurt worse._

_"I know you're kinda getting up there in the years, but trust me..." he started, sliding his hand up her shirt. "You're not so old that your body can resist the pull of bare flesh... my beautiful Fairy."_

* * *

Again. She had let it happen again. Was she really so weak that she had let herself get raped again? Maybe she hadn't grown up as much as she thought she had.

"Mom, are you alright? You've been in there an awful long time," Tobias' voice called from outside the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out soon," she replied, hoping she sounded convincing. She knew she couldn't fool him, but she had to try anyway, for the sake of the others.

"Okay. Don't do anything stupid," he said warily.

"I won't," she called. She heard his footsteps fade as he walked down the hall. "There aren't any more stupid things I could do that I haven't done a thousand times before. Everyone knows that."

She wrapped a towel around her hair and another around her body. They were white, soft and fluffy like a cloud would be. She detested them. White was a color that symbolized purity. She was not pure anymore. She hadn't been pure in a very long time... ever since that damned party. She had never attended another one after that, though she had been invited to dozens of parties and soirées and other gatherings. The only major parties she had attended since her first rape had been Russell's wedding and her own. Aislinn and Alphonse were married, of course, but they didn't have a flashy ceremony. Oh, they could've if they'd wanted to, but they preferred not to. According to them 'the flashy siblings should have a flashy wedding ceremony.' So she and Edward had the big ceremony with the fancy cake and white dress and everything. White... she detested her wedding dress as well. She detested the fact that she wore something in that hateful color... the color that epitomized everything she wasn't and mocked her ceaselessly.

"I never could escape it, could I?" Christin asked herself dryly as she pulled clean clothes out of her dresser.

She pulled on shorts and a thin strapped shirt, because of the lingering heat. Normally she would've been bothered by leaving her breasts unbound, but there wasn't much point in wearing a bra. No one was going to see it or remove it, so why bother? Besides, her breasts had swollen so much since her multiple pregnancies that most of the ones she owned didn't fit as well as they used to, and she just hadn't bothered with shopping for new ones lately. She rubbed the towel over her head in an attempt to dry her hair, staring into her green eyes.

"The darkness... the stain I tried to erase... I couldn't do a thing about it. It was hopeless from the start, wasn't it?" she asked aloud as she dragged a brush through her hair.

Looking at her reflection, she could see how people would think she was a fairy. Her limbs were slender and pale, despite the scars. Her face... well, it could be pretty, in certain lighting. There was definitely her nearly perpetual youth... why did she look so young when she was in her thirties?

_"If you want the people you care about kept safe and left alone, you'll come to me when I call you, as often as I call you. I'm sure you'll be able to think of something to use as an excuse,"_ James's voice echoed in her head. And she had obeyed, for the past two weeks, to keep the children and her sister safe. He still called her 'Fairy' too, which annoyed her.

It wasn't her. 'Fairy.' 'Angel.' 'Goddess.' 'Captain.' None of those titles fit her. They were lies, shameless lies. She savagely jerked open a drawer in her desk and grabbed a pair of scissors. In her other hand, she gathered most of her long hair. All it took was one. One swift cut and she let her hair fall in a purple and gold shower to the floor. There were a few minor adjustments to be made here and there before it was satisfactory. It was short, far shorter than it had ever been before, save for two long locks near her ears. She cut those too, so all the purple color she had in her hair now lay in clumps around her feet.

She hated purple too. It was the color of bruises, like the one on her stomach that was turning slightly green as it faded. It was the color of the bruises that man had left when he raped her. It was the color her scars almost turned in really cold weather, back when they were still new. Purple reminded her too much of her past. She used her power, something she had stopped doing in recent years (mostly because of the sudden absence of most of it) though she detested it too - after all, it had been the source of the ruin - to change the color of her hair, similar to how she had colored it before. Her hair darkened, the darkness spreading like black ink on white paper. Her bangs and the two long locks, she left alone. She didn't want to overwork herself. She brushed locks of hair off her shoulders and clothing. Now she looked better.

It suited her, black hair, now that she had finally rejected the light. This was the girl she had tried to run away from so many years ago. For so long she had dreamed of living in the light.

"That's all it was..." she muttered.

A dream. The hopeless dream of a starry-eyed teenage girl. She had tried to hard to find the light that she had been blinded by it. Now she was cast back into darkness, where she belonged.

She was no fairy, no angel, no goddess, not anything. She had abandoned her dream and gone back to her dull, bleak reality.

Something started to fester inside her, then. It annoyed her too. She changed clothes into simple pants and a long overcoat. She tore up a shirt she no longer used and wrapped it around her chest tightly. Bandages would have been better, but would've aroused suspicions among the others.

"I'm coming with you," Tobias said firmly as his mother went to open the window.

"Stay here. A child shouldn't go where I plan to go," she replied blandly.

"Look at me and tell me I'm still a child," he demanded.

She turned around and wished she hadn't. He looked so much like Edward that something inside her tore apart. His hair was far shorter and his muscles less defined, but he still resembled Edward so closely she knew that if she didn't know better, she'd say her husband had never left. It had been a while since she had seen him in that form... as a teenager. The only reason she recognized it was because of that damned War of Deception when he had to have his growth sped up a bit so he could pass through the False Gate without being harmed, the same way she had been turned young again for the same reason. Why, oh why did things turn out this way.

"I will share your pain. I miss Dad too. Not on the same level as you, but I still miss him. If you're going to sneak out at night and fight on the streets... if you're doing that to make yourself feel less rotten... then I'm going to come with you whether you like it or not," Tobias said firmly.

"It's good to relieve stress. Unfortunately, this is the only stress-reliever I can think of at the moment. You won't tell anyone, will you?" she was asking him like she'd ask a close friend, instead of ordering the way a parent should with a child.

"Why should I? Only you know how to govern your life," he shrugged.

"I meant about James."

"Oh, him? Nah, that's your story. Besides, people might get suspicious if I start talking about rape and stuff when I'm still just a kid. Don't worry, Mom. I know when to keep my mouth shut," he grinned at her. "The twins are asleep now and Ai's keeping Aislinn occupied, so if we're going to leave now would be a good time."

She returned the gesture. "Then let's get going."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__4-5-11: so close to being out of school! Argh, I can't stand it! I finished this chapter in one sitting. So why did it take so long to get the last ones out? I don't know anymore..._

_Okay, I know I have a million fics already started, but I really want to write a new one! It'll be a Fushigi Yugi crossover with FMA... well, what I was thinking was that Ed and Al could go to one of the military libraries and stumble upon 'The Universe of the Four Gods' and _brrrrt-dr-drrt_ (what kind of sound effect was that supposed to be?) they start reading (as would be expected) and they get sucked into the book and become... I haven't decided if I wanna make them priests or priestesses (I think it'd be funny if they were priestesses, personally [Al would have long hair... isn't it strange how both Ed and Al are boys but both look good with long hair? I mean... I've seen some pics that make me think 'Damn that's sexy!' I don't normally think things like that but Ed and Al can make me think that... and say it on occasion]... it'd keep with the theme too) and they have to find the seven constellations of Byakko, the only god I haven't read anything about yet, apart from small notes here and there in the real Fushigi Yugi books._

_Well, I was reading Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden (I got books one through five and lemme tell ya, Limdo totally reminds me of a more kick-ass Ranma) and since there's Genbu Kaiden (obviously about the god Genbu) and the original Fushigi Yugi (with Miaka and Suzaku and Yui and Seiryu... let me take a moment to say how rotten Qu-Dong is in general. I mean... what is their problem anyway?) so I somehow got the idea to make an FMA/FY crossover using the Byakko constellations._

_I'll make a poll about this to make it easier for everyone._

_Other than that, nothing particularly interesting has been going on lately. I designed Rin for book three. I noticed that she has a certain image for each book of Godsend, so I had to maintain the continuity and change her look in book three. That's what happens at the end of the chapter, with the cutting of her hair and stuff. The Gentleman's Alliance helped a bit, because of Haine's yanki-isms... yanki-ness? Haine's connection to being a yanki. Poor girl... I make her go through so much. Christin, I mean, not Haine. Though Haine's life is pretty messy too... it's just not as extreme as Godsend. I was actually gonna delay the image-change a bit, but since I skipped two weeks I figured it's be okay. The two weeks period is where James repeatedly raped Rin... I'm horrible, ain't I?_

_My inner fangirl-hater is screaming "That's what she gets for being a freaking OC! Serves her right!" I'm a fangirl and a fangirl-hater. It's a strange, complex relationship._

_My friend lent me The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It doesn't make much sense but it's still pretty good. I also snagged the first disc of Lucky Star, also good. I love the opening for Lucky Star and I can totally relate to Konata because she's an otaku. My new life's goal is to be able to do the dances in the opening of Lucky Star and the closing of Haruhi._

_Oh, in case you were wondering why Toby and Ai aren't on summer break is because they attend a year-round school and their vacation hasn't come yet. Dawn and Dusk aren't enrolled in school yet and Mirian and Santi aren't old enough for anything besides daycare, which Aislinn is providing since she stays home all day long._

_It's kinda funny. Aislinn is a stay-at-home mom and Ed's a stay-at-home dad and both of their spouses work for the military, and the elder siblings married the younger siblings, and the youngest out of all four of them married the oldest of all four of them. No, it's not incest, so you can get that out of your heads. And even if it was, it's not like they'd really care. Ah... um... what was I talking about again? I love Elricest, weirdly enough._


	20. Assassination

_20: Assassination_

"Brother Edward!" The young voice rang sharply in the stone halls.

"Hey, Athelward. What's up?" Edward replied.

"You still speak strangely. I am picking bits and pieces up, though. Where are you headed this morning?" the blond boy inquried.

"To see Darius..." he grumbled.

"It is so humorous that you must take lessons with me now. I am glad to have you at my side, of course, but you would have finished these lessons so long ago," Athelward giggled.

"I'm doing it because I missed you and wanted to spend more time with you," Edward teased, grabbing the boy's head and making him laugh out loud.

"Have you recovered any memories yet, My Brother?" he inquired.

"Not yet," Edward lied. It was easy to joke around with his new 'family' but things got rather awkward when the supposedly missing memories arose in a conversation.

"Oh..."

"Don't look so depressed. I'm sure we'll remember something," Alphonse jumped in.

"Oh, I do hope so! Every day I am so grateful that you both returned. I hope you never leave us ever again!" Athelward grinned.

Edward looked at Alphonse, who also wore a bitter expression. It had been roughly two weeks since they arrived in this time frame. They had adjusted well and were, surprisingly, enjoying themselves despite the separation from their true families. It saddened both of them to think that they couldn't stay here forever, in those rare moments when they could forget about their modern lives. Those moments were not long, either, just brief bursts here and there caused by something new and exciting they had discovered in this time frame. They were brought back to reality by the absence of their loved ones.

Night was when the separation really took its toll. Each night since they arrived here, they had shared the large bed for the true prince like they had when they were little, comforting each other until they fell asleep.

"I am going to go on ahead, alright? Don't take too long," Athelward chirped before dashing down the hall.

"Anything yet?" Alphonse asked carefully.

"No... Elrin says she refuses to switch places," Edward replied glumly.

They were talking, of course, about the switching of souls. It was only temporary, though, and left bitterness after the two switched back.

"It was like when you came to Germany, in that suit of armor. How you put part of your soul inside it and were able to talk to me and stuff. It's like Elrin is just the vessel for Christin's soul, but it can't stay there for very long..." the blond mumbled.

"Didn't she say she had to work on that serial killer case? I bet she's just tired or something," Alphonse said quickly, hoping to lighten Edward's mood.

"Lord Prince, there you are!" a young woman with brown hair exclaimed. "Sir Darius requested your pesence at once."

"Thanks, Ticia, I'll make sure he goes right away," Alphonse grinned and began pushing Edward down the hall.

"I don't like talking to that girl," Edward pouted.

"Why not? She's almost like Mom," Alphonse said.

"Exactly. It's like she is Mom, but she isn't."

"Ticia is Mom's past like, Brother," Alphonse sighed angrily. "How many times have you been told that?"

"A dozen, at least, but I just can't accept that! It doesn't make any sense!" Edward whined, dragging a hand through his hair.

"Stop screaming already," Alphonse chided, whacking Edward with the vellum book he carried. It had been made recently and the pages gave off the faint scent of livestock when turned. According to Ethelfleda, they were made from sheep skin.

The pages were blank inside. Alphonse used it to record what happened during the course of the day. He no longer had to work all day, and it wasn't like he had to take care of any children. He missed that, being able to see his daughters and wife when he came home in the evenings. Now that he thought about it, he had only sired girls (excluding Santi, who had been adopted). Maybe something was wrong with him? He had seen a few servant boys running around the castle and had been told he had fathered some of them.

"Nothing is wrong with you, you just aren't ready to raise a son yet."

"Geez!" both brothers wheezed.

"Did I frighten you?" Elrin snickered.

"My heart almost leapt outta my throat!" Edward snapped.

"Stop showing up out of nowhere like that!" Alphonse hissed.

"Spoil sports," she pouted, climbing in the window from the tree branch she had crouched on. She joined them in their walk down the hall.

"What is it now?" Edward sighed.

"I have come to be an instructor," she replied coolly.

"In what, ninja sneak attacks?" the blond raged.

"What is a ninja?" she inquired.

"It's a sort of assassin," Alphonse replied.

"Assassins spell bad news for the royal family. You best be on your guard. You have legitimate claim to the throne. Be wary of Athelwold and Athelhelm especially. Their claws are set mighty deep on the throne and they will do anything to attain that power," Elrin whispered.

"I still can't pronounce some of these names..." Edward griped.

"They're not that hard to pronouce, Brother," Alphonse huffed.

"But they all sound the same! Alfred, Athelward, Athelwold, Athelhelm, Athelred... even the girls have similar sounding names! Ethelfleda, Ethelgifu, Elfthryth... they even spell my name weirdly!" the blond complained.

"Actually, they way the others spell your name, Eadweard, is the proper spelling for this time frame," Elrin interjected.

"I didn't ask your opinion!" Edward growled, grabbing Elrin's cheeks and pulling them.

"Are you going to spend all day talking to thin air?" Ticia demanded. "I understand about the spirits, you are most fortunate, but please do try to maintain some level of self control. Others might grow suspicious if you are seen talking to what appears to be nothing."

"Right..." he sighed.

"Sir Darius is waiting. You best be on your way, Lord Prince," Ticia said softly before vanishing down one of the catsle's many corridors.

"Yeah, yeah!" Edward sighed, dragging Alphonse along behind him.

"It's almost like you're little again," he chuckled. The blond rolled his eyes.

"Wait," Elrin mumbled, grabbing Edward's arm and holding him back. "There's a dread energy in the building. Someone is in danger."

"Okay, if you say so," Edward shrugged, grabbing his arm back and continuing to the library where the children were educated.

It was a large chamber, made entirely of stone. Long bookcases lined the walls, crammed with ancient books (all filled with the strange animal-paper vellum) that were written by hand by monks centuries ago in some remote monastery in the mountains. Edward and Alphonse were certain that if they existed in the modern world, they'd be worth several million sens. There were large windows topped with a pointed arch and heavy curtains pushed aside to allow the warmth of the day to envelop the room. There were long tables placed here and there for people to relax while they read the books. Of course, there were two armed guards by the double doors. They straightened up and saluted Edward and Alphonse.

"Big Brother!" Athelward announced when the two entered the room. The few people in the room looked up sharply at the boy's exclamation. He was a child and a member of the royal family, so of course they said and did nothing.

"I am glad you could finally join us, Lord Prince. And Young Prince, you know better than to make such a loud exclamation. Folk come here because it is a quiet place to read and study. Your outburst may very well have disrupted any number of folk," Darius chided, pushing his spectacles up the bridge of his nose.

"Sorry," Edward said, averting his gaze.

"There is nothing to be sorry about. In your condition, such allowances can be made," Darius nodded at the table Athelward sat at.

"My boys! How are you on this fine morning?" Alfred announced loudly.

"L-Lord King!" Darius stammered. "I-I had no idea you would be coming today!"

"At ease, Darius. I merely wanted to see how my sons are faring in their studies. Pay me no mind," the king said blithely, waving a hand dismissively. "Please, continue."

"Where were we?" Daruis coughed nervously.

"We had not yet begun, Daruis. We were waiting for my brother to arrive," Athelward chirped.

An hour later, Edward had all but fallen asleep. He just had no interest in the geography of the country and the neighboring tribes.

It was basically this: Amestria was a small country, bordered by Creta, Drachma, Aerugin (what he supposed would later be Aerugo), and a larger country to the east called Kartel. The Kartelan emperor had some sort of grudge against the Amestrians becuase some former king cheated a former emperor out of land that rightfully belonged to Kartel. Of course, to the Amestrians the land rightfully belonged to them by way of a written contract claiming that the Kartel government owed it the Amestria as payment for aid given during a Drachma-Kartel war.

He really couldn't care less. Alchemy had been the only thing that really interested him, not geography and military tactics.

"Hey Darius, do you have any books in here on alchemy?" he asked, interrupting the teacher.

"Alchemy? I fear I do not understand," he shook his head slightly.

"Ah, it's nothing. Never mind," the blond replied, shaking his head as if it would shake the thoughts out. Now he remembered... it was some king that introduced alchemy to Amestris... someone named...

He didn't have time to think of the name. Something thin and silvery shot past him, clipping his nose and leaving small beads of blood. There was a groan beside him, though it sounded like the person was behind a few closed doors. The groan was followed by a thump. He turned what he thought was quickly, but he might as well have been submerged in murky lake water.

"Lord King!" a woman shrieked, the piercing noise echoing off the stone walls.

"Father!" Athelward cried, standing up.

Edward watched as Alphonse grabbed the boy and turned him away from the scene. His head feeling like lead, he swung it around to see Alfred crumpled on the floor, a silver arrow protruding sickly from just above his left collarbone.

Again.

It was happening again.

He was letting Hughes die again.

"No..." he whispered so softly even he couldn't hear it very well. "No," his voice was stronger this time. "No, I'm not going to let this happen!"

Before he knew what he was doing, he was on his knees and gently pulling the arrow out. lood spurted upwards, streaking his face with a few thin lines of crimson. He pressed his left hand to the wound, hoping to stop the bleeding. It wasn't very effective and the scarlet puddle on the king's chest and neck gew with each passing second.

"Hang on... hang on... it'll be alright. You'll be just fine," he chattered, his voice dangerously close to cracking. "You'll be fine. I'm not going to let you die."

"My son... my beautiful, beautiful son..." Alfred rasped, blood trickling down from the corners of his mouth. He lifted a hand; it trembled so bad Edward thought some bones might be shaken free. He caught it with his free hand, his grip much stronger than he felt. "I wanted to wait... until you knew a bit more about this world... because of your memories... but I fear... I must now pass the throne... to you..."

"No... no, you'll be just fine. You'll get better in no time. I can't rule a country. I can barely manage my own life sometimes. I can't... I can't..." Edward fumbled over the words, his tongue felt like a thick woolen sock lolling around uselessly inside his mouth.

"You can... you must... take care of your brother... and your sisters... Ethelfleda, especially... she may be the eldest, but inside she's still just a girl... protect them... protect this land..."

Alfred suddenly grabbed Edward's collar, bringing the blond's ear close to his mouth.

"Only you have the power to save this country. I know of your limbs... and your magic. Use that magic, Edward, and save us all..."

"Father!" Athelward screamed brokenly. Alphonse clutched the boy close to him and did his best to soothe his violent sobbing. "No, Father, no! NO!"

Edward sat back on his heels, trembling a bit.

It was the same... but also very different.

Last time he hadn't known about the death for a while...

This time he watched him die.

Last time, Hughes had been shot by a gun.

This time, an arrow had done the job.

"Secure the fort! No one enters or leaves!" someone barked in the growing clamor. "Find the assassin and bring him to me at once!" Scar's voice became recognizeable as he barked the orders.

Edward was vaguely aware of someone approaching, someone placing their hands on his shoulders, someone trying to pry Alfred's hand out of his iron grip. He barely acknowledged his own actions as he clutched the man's body and screamed for him not to be touched. Someone, somehow, picked the both of them up and carried them out of the room.

"Are you well?" a soft voice asked later that night.

Alphonse looked up to see Elrin standing near the divan. Edward had passed out from shock of the assassination several hours ago and hadn't yet recovered. He had taken to sitting on the divan, staring moodily into the orange flames of the large fire. It was warm and comforting... normally. Today, none of that warmth or comfort reached him. He could've been sitting outside in an icy pond for all the warmth and comfort he was feeling right now. He shook his head lamely, tightening his grip on his knees, and returned to staring into the dancing flames.

Slender hands came to rest on his head. He felt Elrin's ear twitch as the fire crackled loudly.

"It is alright... you knew him in your time frame, correct? It is alright for you to grieve," she whispered. "Grief is part of healing. If you do not grieve properly, it will remain a thorn in your heart until the day you die, never healing... it will sit there and fester, and cause you more pain any time something brushes against it."

He cried. Silent copious tears streamed down his face.

"I know you had something with the future me once, but there is another who will be more than glad to share her grief," she pointed out.

"You sure?" he asked weakly.

"I will watch over Edward," she smiled gently.

In that one gesture, he caught a glimpse of the Christin he had fallen in love with, all those years ago. She could be mean and taunting, mischeivous even. But underneath all that she was kind and gentle and truly full of love. She never took any emotion lightly, even if it seemed like she did. Truthfully, he still loved her, just not romantically anymore.

There was someone else... more suited to him.

"She will be looking for you. Follow the corridor, keeping always to the right. It will prevent you from getting lost," Elrin said dismissively.

Alphonse stood and hurried from the room. He kept to the right, as instructed, and soon found the one he was looking for. She looked almost like a ghost. Her white nightgown was a faint blue color from the moonlight, the skirt billowing out behind her as she walked against the steady breeze. Her hair, normally bound tightly, hung in loose curls around her and floating like some separate living entity. Her skin was pale also, all the color drained from it hours ago upon recieving news of her father's sudden death.

"Who's there?" she demanded when she took time to notice his presence.

"It's me, Alphonse," he replied.

"Alphonse," she breathed, relief oozing from her voice. "Alphonse... oh Alphonse!" She flung herself at him and cried heavily into his shoulder. He held her, keeping the touch platonic.

"It's alright..." he whispered around her sobs. "It's alright... you can cry... it's alright."

"My father has died, Alphonse! Edward cannot be king! I love my brother dearly and have faith in him, but with his missing memories he will not be able to guide the country the way it needs to be! People will seek to get the better of him, use him, step on him... maybe even kill him like Father was killed today!" she cried. "I fear for my brother! What should I do? I cannot take the throne, being female and unmarried. Edward is next in line for the throne, being direct blood relatives of the Lord King and Lady Queen, may they rest in peace... but Athelwold and Athelhelm will seek to out him and claim the throne for themselves! Tell me, Alphonse, what should I do?"

"You called me Alphonse," he stated.

"I do not understand," she pulled away to look at him. "Have I not always called you that?"

"There was something in the way you said my name. Before you would call me 'Alfonse' and the 'f' sound would be harder. When you call me 'Alphonse' now, the 'ph' sound is softer," he clarified.

"That is because... I have warmed up to you. Before you and Edward went missing, you would hardly give me a cursory glance. Now I see your eyes on me nearly constantly and I feel strange inside... like I am going to vomit," she admitted, firmly fixing her gaze on some part of his shirt. "Why is this so, Alphonse? Why do you make me feel this way?"

"In all honsety, Princess, I feel the same."

He paused. If this was a past life, could it really be called cheating? They were essentially the same, weren't they? Aislinn was more modern because of the time frame in which she was raised, but that was really the only difference he could see. Would it really be so bad?

"Because I love you."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2**__ 4-15-11: bleh, politics can be so boring to write about. The most fun part I wrote in this chapter was when I killed Alfred. I didn't like it, but I had to. It's crucial to Ed's development as a human being. Alphonse... I want to give him a bigger part. He's been kinda like a shadow and that's starting to annoy me. I wonder what I can make him do... apart from what happened at the end._

_It's not really cheating is it? If he sleeps with his wife's past life?_

_I finally figured out what I'd modeled the Hourglass of Ages after! The object, I mean, not the book. Okay, so I'd found my Harry Potter book (number one) and have been reading it for the past few days. One really important thing: it is way more funny than I remember. Okay, so anyway I wanted to watch the first movie, but it's only on VHS... I mean we only have it on VHS so I started watching the fifth one because I couldn't remember what a Portkey was called... I think I've got that right... it's been a really long time since anything really Harry Potter-ish has happened in my life... though I did see an ad for the seventh movie part one on BLu-Ray and iTunes today when I checked my email..._

_Anywho, I was flipping through a small booklet of all these Harry Potter goods you could buy and I saw Hermione's Time-Turner. That is what I modeled the Hourglass after, with the golden spinny rings and stuff. So if you want to see what the Hourglass of Ages should look like, watch Harry Potter!_

_Portkeys weren't used in the fifth movie, by the way. That was just the one I thought they were used in. They weren't, but watching the movie instantly recalled all my Haripo knowledge! I remembered a whole bunch of stuff, from Neville's Remembrall (though that actually was restored by the book) to the Room of Requirement... even some spells I remembered! The Patronus Charm is one of my absolute favorites, next to the Riduculus spell taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts in year... I really want to say year two, but it might be year three... where Neville put that Snape-thing in woman's clothing. I can NOT remember the name of that giant spider from year two, though... I'm pretty sure it starts with 'A' though... I'll need to watch all the movies again._

_I still haven't read book six. I jumped from five to seven, though I did see the sixth movie._

_How many of you are Harry Potter fans?_


	21. Knowledge

_21: Knowledge_

"Mom, why are you doing this?"

Tobias reclined against the building and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. He slid to the ground, his leg flaring in pain.

"You don't have to come with me, you know," Christin replied, shaking her hair out of her face. She traced a circle on her sleeve with a small piece of charcoal and in a flash of blue lightning the tear had mended itself.

"You didn't answer my question," he snorted.

"Because I'm confused. I just feel really really lost right now. I'm not sure why, but it feels like my heart's been poisoned. It's much easier to fight on the streets... it's like a sort of novocaine for my heart," she sighed.

"Because of James?" he pressed.

"Yes, because of James. I'm still as weak as I was when I was a teenager. I can't stand up for myself, I can't protect myself. I can't do a goddamned thing," she spat.

"But you're protecting us. Me and Dusk and Dawn and Ai and..."

"At what cost to myself?" she interrupted. "Every time that man climaxes it's like he's killing me. His seed is like poison to me. I am doing my best to protect you and the others but i'm starting to fall apart in the process. I know that I'm going to die one day but this situation makes me want to kill myself!"

He slapped her face and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Mother, listen to me. You must never, _ever_ talk about taking your life. Don't even **think** about it. I'm not saying this just because you have low self-esteem. There are people who need you, Mom. Not just me or the twins or your sister. _Everyone needs you._ I know damn well you hate being told that but it's the truth. Ever since you started obeying that cretin's commands, the murders have stopped. Don't you get it yet? His main target wasn't Dad, it is you," Tobias snapped.

"Me?" she repeated stupidly.

"You. _You_ were the one who killed his brother. _You_ are the one he's after. He knew that if he found the Fullmetal Alchemist, Hero of the People, he would find you."

"So... you're going to blame me too, are you?" she whispered. "It's fine. I accept the blame. Ever since I came here I've caused nothing but trouble."

She brushed a few stray strands of black hair back where they belonged.

"I've finally figured it out, though."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Figured out what?"

"My role in this bleak tragedy I'm supposed to call a life. I'm the OC. I'm just one of those stupid Mary-Sues I read about online all those years ago. I suddenly appear and become the catalyst for nearly everything. I wreck people's lives and destroy anything I touch. It's no wonder people are out to get me. They suck up to me, call me all these fancy names and shower me with glory, when really they all just wish I would die. I'm sick of being the catalyst, the damsel in distress, the foolish girl who doesn't know better. Well, the masses will get their wish in due course, won't they?" she laughed dryly.

"Mother..." he started, his voice threatening.

"What, I'm gonna die anyway. With this damned disease I got," she grunted. "What does it matter how and when?"

"It matters to me! I don't know what an 'OC' is, but you're still my mother! Say anything you want, but it won't change the fact that you're still someone I admire and respect very much," he spat before turning on his heel.

She watched his blond hair glint in the streetlights. His jacket was torn and stained with dirt and blood, much like her own clothes. The scrape on her cheek stung slightly. She continued to mend her clothing with transmutation circles. Now that she had lost a majority of her power, alchemy was easier for her to perform. Her heart stirred slightly.

"Damn it all. My heart's a machine, right? Machines can't feel things... so why do I feel this way?" she cried to the empty streets. She heard a groaning down the street. That meant the band of thugs she and Tobias had clobbered earlier.

"My, my, my, you certainly are something," James' voice sneered.

"Mom. Mom, you have to run," Tobias interjected, worry lacing his voice like a single thread through a bolt of fabric.

In the glow of the streetlight, Tobias's hair shone like gold. A glint of silver accompanied it. A knife, dangerously sharp, poised close to the boy's throat. James smirked as she got to her feet.

"Let him go. Your business is with me, is it not?" she demanded.

"Well, Fairy, it's all a matter of perspective. I've heard that one of the most painful things in the entire human experience is the loss of a child. He's so young, too. Not quite a man, but no longer a boy. That horrid in-between time is the worst part of growing up, wouldn't you agree? Not yet knowing who you are and desperately wishing you could be who you once were. The simplicity of childhood..." he nicked Tobias's throat, causing the boy to grunt in pain. "I'll be doing you a favor, you know... preserving his youth. Can't you just picture his funeral? I can see a grassy knoll and lots of white flowers. Your favorites, no?"

"If you think I'm going to stand by and let you threaten my son..." she started.

"What? You'll kill me? Sandpaper me to death like my brother? In case you didn't get the memo, sweetheart, that made you a murderer," James spat. "Because you're so famous, the military has overlooked it. Called my brother's tragic death a 'strange disappearance' you know. You should never have come here you tramp! If you hadn't have shown up, my brother would still be alive! Aislinn would still belong to us! This blond bastard of yours wouldn't even exist!"

"Don't listen to him, Mom! It's a trick, he's trying to get you to let your guard down! Just ignore it, I'll be fine! You need to get help before you do anything else!" Tobais cried, a thin trickel of blood working its way down his neck from where the blade had nicked him.

"Take your filthy hands off my son!" she snapped, striding forward and lifting her hand to strike the mass-murderer.

"You think you can fight me?" James laughed haughtily. He pushed Tobias aside and struck Christin, using enough force to send her to the ground. "You think you can challenge me?"

"I know I can. If anything happens to that boy, Ed will have your head!" she spat blood out of her mouth and forced herself to her knees.

"But he's not here, is he? Chickened out and ran away with his brother. It was quite the lucky break for me. I just had to charm your sister the way I used to and you were right there in the palm of my hand. It's not like he's going to come to your rescue this time, Fairy. He's off playing Prince Charming in an alternate dimension," James sneered, kicking her in the face.

"You're wrong," she spat quietly, spitting blood out of her mouth once more. "He's not like that... he can't be..."

"Quit playing the innocent teenager card. Like it or not, you're a grown-up now. You can't keep relying on other people to clean up your messes. You're not some lovestruck young girl anymore, alright? Grow up and act like the adult you're supposed to be. You want to set a good example for him, don't you?" James asked, grabbing Tobias's face.

"Don't touch him..." she mumbled under her breath.

"Some mother you are," James snorted haughtily.

"Shut up! My mother is a wonderful person, the kind you could never even hope to dream about becoming!" Tobias shouted.

"Did I ask for your opinion?" he demanded, striking the boy. He staggered backwards and hit the wall of a nearby building, slumping to the ground.

"You bastard!" she screamed, forcing herself to her feet.

James grabbed her head and slammed her into the ground.

"You want to fight on the streets like some delinquent child? Be my guest. I'll give you a real street brawl..." James snickered.

"Toby, go home. you don't need to see this..." her voice rasped.

"No, by all means, stay. It should be very educational for you," James urged, climbing on top of Christin. He kept one arm firmly pressed against her shoulders.

"I'm still not strong enough... Master..." Tobias heard his mother mumble.

_He could see it. It was as clear as if he was standing right in the middle of it, though it was a memory. He saw his mother when she was younger, perhaps in her teens or early twenties. Her hair was long and streaked with purple like he always remembered it. It kept falling in her face as she moved, easily dodging the tan skinned fists and feet. Sweat dripped down her face as she counter-attacked, her own limbs moving like liquid. Sadly, she wasn't fast enough. Someone chopped at the back of her neck and she fell to the gound._

_"Better..." a reedy voice commented._

_"But not good enough?" she huffed._

_"Not good enough. You use too much power and leave yourself with nothing in reserve. You must learn to channel your power. A good warrior knows how to use their energy and powe wisely. You are just striking blindly," the voice chided playfully._

_"Brutum Fulmen," she scoffed, hauling herself into a sitting position._

_"What?"_

_"It means striking blindly, senseless thunder, etcetera," she explained. "I'm just a bunch of raw ore. It's your job to refine me, Master."_

_"That is something I cannot argue, Silent Dreamer. Or maybe I ought to call you Blind Striker instead?"_

_"Very funny, Master," she laughed. "I'm not blind enough for that; I can still see where I'm going when I walk. Actually, I'm less than not blind. Since you've been teaching me, I can see in the dark now. I've learned so much and I am very grateful."_

_"You must use caution, young one. You are still but a child and there is much you need to learn. I did not wish to be the one to tell you this, but I fear I am the only one who can."_

_"Tell me what?" she asked._

_"You are not a Kali'rah. Your power exceeds even the most powerful in all history. It... it is like you are a god."_

_"Goddess," she corrected._

_"Don't correct me."_

_"Sorry."_

_"You don't wonder why you are so powerful?"_

_"I guess I never really thought about it. Things have been really crazy since that first Jump..."_

_"You are a vessel, child. Your body is a container for some sacred power because the true bearer could not bear the power. This power you have is only borrowed. You have powers of your own, of course, but you are using this other person's power to enhance your own. Like everything else, there is a toll you must pay for this... abuse of power."_

_"There's more, isn't there?" she asked warily._

_"There is, but it is far from pleasant."_

_"Tell me, please. So I can know, if not do something about it."_

_"There is nothing you can do - it is preordained - but I shall tell you anyway."_

_"Thank you, Master."_

_"There will be great bloodshed, war, betrayal, loss, adventure, romance, and death. Much, much death. You cannot prevent most of this, though you will try. The betrayal: devastating. The bloodshed: unavoidable. The war: cataclysmic. All the while your life will be in peril, especially while you house this extra power. Unfortunately, you will not be able to remove the extra power until the predetermined time. You will continue to abuse your power, even if it seems like you aren't. You will not try to avoid the abuse either. Your loss will hurt you greatly. You will lose your flesh and blood twice in bloodshed, one by contract. Your contract will be lost in time as well. It will return, but the loss will make room for an invader. This invader shall try to create flesh and blood, but will not succeed because you will have none left for him to take. You will cause many deaths, some by your hand, some not directly. Your love will be tested under the worst conditions and you will come very close to losing it forever. You will return to the Lifestream shortly after resolving the issue with the contract but even then you will not be at peace."_

_"So... let me get this straight... I'm going to lose two children in battle (one killed by my husband), my husband is going to leave for a while and someone will take advantage of that absence and cause me to have an affair, trying to sire his brats but it won't work because I'm going to end up barren after X amount of childen, then we will have issues because of a prolonged separation and the forced affair. The issues will be resolved but I'll die shortly afterwards, after I've been the catalyst for some cataclysmic event that costs thousands upon thousands of people their lives."_

_"Your cleverness is something I admire," the wrinkled old man who owned the reedy voice smiled._

_"Talk about a dready fortune. So... do you know who this future husband is going to be? I'm pretty sure the betrayal is the recent issue with Alphonse... I think I've seen plenty of the romance already and my entire life for the past four years has been one big adventure. Come on, can't you tell me, please? You know all that stuff so you've gotta know who I'm gonna end up married to!" she whined._

_"And ruin the surprise? Don't be silly. I've told all I can tell. Part of living a full life is not knowing what it's going to throw at you. I've given you the basics; the rest you must figure out on your own," the man smiled wisely._

_"That's so unfair," she pouted._

_"Life is unfair," the man nodded._

_"But..." she prompted._

_"But what?" he asked._

_"It sounded like you were going to say something else after that."_

_"I was?" he asked. "Silly me, this old brain of mine... things do tend to slip occasionally, you know."_

_"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, standing up and getting into a fighting position._

_"But life always makes up for what is unfair with something the exact opposite," he said before walking away. "You truly are a godsend, Silent Dreamer. You will bring about all that I've mentioned... but you will also make things right again, and make them better than before."_

_His mother smiled and resumed practicing her fighting style, trying to restrain her strength and move as easily as possible._

He ran. He didn't care that he had lef this mother behind; he felt sick to his stomach.

**"She knew..."** he thought bitterly.

"Everything... The war... Rio and Marcus's deaths... now... she knew everything all along. She kenw it was going to happen... so why didn't you tell anyone? Not even Dad knew about anything until it happened..." he choked on the words, bringing a hand to his throat. Breathing was suddenly becoming difficult.

How could she? How could she keep something like that a secret? Something that huge... she knew about their entire lives together! How could she keep something that life-changing a secret, especially from him when he had his ability to read minds?

"Why did you let yourself suffer all by yourself?" he asked around tears as they streamed from his eyes.

"Nice boy, really. A bit jumpy, but really nice. He takes after his father, that same mommy complex... I wonder if he'll try to bring you back too, after I break you," James snorted as he buckled his belt.

"Hard to say..." she mumbled. She knew why he ran away. She had shown him that memory on purpose. She had to tell _someone_. All these years she had kept it to herself... the fact that she **knew** about everything... that she'd known all along and done her best to prevent them from knowing until the last possible moment.

"Tomorrow morning, ten o'clock. Bring Toby here, and especially the twins; I'm just dying to meet them," James ordered. "Oh... dress appropriately, please. It's so much more difficult if you wear pants, you know? Do as I say and they won't be harmed."

She lowered her gaze. It didn't look like she had much of a choice. Again, she had to get hurt to protect the ones she cared about.

"Yes."

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__4-30-11: getting downright brutal here. James is such a creep. I wanna punch him in the head. Unfortunately for me (and several characters) he has to stick around for a bit longer._

_Um... not entirely sure where the memory came from. I guess I kinda thought it'd add to the drama of the story. Book three... I'm trying to make it more dramatic than the other two books. And the title 'Godsend' finally becomes... kinda clear._

_Sorry about the huge delay. I don't know why, but I just stopped writing for a bit. Call it writer's block... actually, that's what I think I had. Well, and life's been kinda hectic lately. I've had all this stuff to do for my Senior Project (_**WHICH I FINALLY FINISHED!**_) because our portfolios are due this coming Wednesday and we have to arrange ALL the paperwork we've done and I still need to take a few more pictures before I can turn the damned thing on Monday for extra credit. I finally got my computer's class grade up, from an F to a B- thank you very much! Now I just need to get my yearbook grade up and finish Apex and I'll be able to graduate! And I picked up my prom dress today and am impressed I can get into it because they tailored the straps along with the hem and I kept thinking I'd either rip the straps or get strangled as I wriggled into the thing and it took my like, five minutes to zip the thing up for some reason and I realized that I've gained a few pounds (I went from 115 to 125: NOT GOOD) and my kid brother's birthday is tomorrow and my dad's coming out to see me graduate and I have to leave the day after cuz he's stupid like that and I have to go to Saturday school next week otherwise I won't be able to go to Grad Night to Disneyland and I tried to go today but no one was there so I obviously got the day wrong so I hafta try next week, which is actually the date written on my detention slip. Well, it's filled out for saturday school but there are spaced for wtiting out detentions too, so I call it... well, actually I called it a 'summons' because it sounded cooler, but you know, whatever._

_Whew, okay, so that's what's been going on in real life. Sorry, that was a really long run-on paragraph._

_I also got the idea for a Shugo Chara/FMA crossover, which I actually wrote two chapters of because I needed to get the beginning of the story down before I forgot because I actually really like Shugo Chara and got the opening theme song off iTunes. Oh! I also bought Vampire Knight episode one, Black Butler episode one, and Trinity Blood episode... thirteen, I think. I just really wanted the next one (Ibelis part 2) because of Aaron. Speaking of which, I haven't heard his voice as of late. You know, because of his voice maturing Maxey had to take over as Alphonse's voice for Brotherhood but Aaron did the voice of young Hohenheim and Al as a teenager and that episode comes next in the series but I only have up to part three and I really want to hear his voice now! I tried buying the episode off iTunes, but couldn't find it and got really depressed, so I bought TB because he did the voice of Ion. I love how his voice cracks like that, you know what I'm talking about? It's just... the perfect voice-cracking. I love his voice and Todd Haberkorn's._

_Wow, I am in a ranting mood today. My most sincere apologies, everyone._

_So... you want the Shugo chara/FMA crossover? Even if you don't I'm gonna post it, just like that FY/FMA crossover I mentioned whenever ago because they're my stories and I can do whatever I want with them so there._

_Whew, I need to update more often..._


	22. Coronation

_22: Coronation_

"Al...? Al?"

The voice echoed in the stone hallway, distant but increasing in clarity.

"Al, where'd you go?"

Alphonse sat up, his torso shivering from the chill of the morning air. He grabbed the thick wool blankets and pulled them up over his shoulders. They were itchy, but warm. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the chilly air the stone walls trapped. The fire across from the bed had died into glowering embers.

"Alphonse!" Edward's voice rang sharply in the halls outside the door.

"What is going on?" Ethelfleda asked groggily, propping herself up on one elbow and rubbing her eye with her free hand.

"Al, there you are!" Edward cried, bursting through the door.

"Brother Edward!" Ethelfleda gasped, quickly drawing the coverd up around her chest. "Th-this is not what it looks like!"

"Hey, you never saw me," he smirked before leaving the way he had come.

"Something is not right... he was so upset yesterday. Now it is as if he does not recall the event," she mumbled aloud.

"Maybe..." Alphonse mused. "He-he'll come around eventually. It's just the shock. I mean, the dude died in his arms, right?"

"Dude?" Ethelfleda repeated.

"A dude, you know... a man, a guy, a chum, a don-ho," he rambled, waving his arms as he spoke.

"Ah! I still do not understand," she sighed.

"It's just a... a synonym for the word 'man' alright? It's just slang, don't make such a big deal out of it," he laughed.

"Alright, if you say so," she smiled, lying on her back and gazing at him. "I cannot understand why, but you seem different from before. Oh. Oh my..."

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked.

"Edward will have to become king. He's the direct descendant of the Lord King Alfred. Athelwold and Athelhelm have their eyes on the throne and Brother Edward will be in danger now that the throne is vacant. He must be crowned King immediately, before someone else is murdered!" Ethelfleda cried.

"Before he's murdered..." Alphonse mused as he wriggled into his clothing. "Get dressed, hurry. I'm sure he's protected, but we can't be too careful. How could I have been so stupid? Just because he was a prince doesn't mean that he wasn't in danger. The arrow that killed the King could've easily hit him instead."

"I'll alert Darius. He knows who to go to about the coronation. It must be performed at once," Ethelfleda said quickly, tying the string holding the top of her shirt closed. She strapped on a belt with her sheathed sword and pulled on her boots.

"I'll stay with Br... with Edward," Alphonse stated. It felt a little strange to call the blond 'Edward' instead of 'Brother' like he normally did.

"As you will, dearest," she replied, swiftly kissing him on the cheek before hurrying from the room.

"Dearest, huh? If that's what you like..." he mumbled to himself before returning to his senses. Now was **not** a good time to fall victim to his emotions. "Brother!"

"Right here!" Edward replied chipperly.

"Waah!" Alphonse exclaimed. He hadn't expected to find Edward so quickly. "You were standing outside the door all this time?"

"Should I not have been?" he asked playfully.

Something was wrong, Alphonse thought to himself, he wasn't norally that chipper, even on the best of days. Perhaps it was in fact the shock that Alfred had died in his arms. Perhaps it was the prolonged separation. There were infinite reasons for the uncharacteristic actions.

"Don't eavesdrop on people while they're talking in private!" he hissed.

"Yeah, well, call me jealous, but I couldn't seem to help myself. I can't seem to ignore the fact that I don't have that kind of relationship anymore," Edward replied distantly.

"What do you mean?" Alphonse asked gently.

"My chest aches horribly," the blond stated.

"Do you need medicine or something? Heartburn, maybe?"

"It's not the kind of pain that can be cured with drugs or herbs. I feel this pain... because she feels this pain," Edward replied softly. Hot tears stung his eyes and he clenched his fists in an attempt to hold them back. "Something is wrong, very wrong. Something that she can't deal with properly, and it's hurting her. She feels guilt, pain, regret... weakness. She feels powerless."

"How do you know all that? You haven't seen her in a while," Alphonse mumbled.

"I know that because I feel the same way," Edward said brokenly, large tears spilling from his eyes.

"Brother..."

"I hate this, Al!" Edward sobbed. Alphonse was taller than him, by just a little bit, and that made him the perfect height for crying into one's shoulder. Edward was careful to tighten his right hand only around his brother's shirt, so he wouldn't shatter his shoulder. "I hate this, I really hate it! I can't stand being apart like this for so long! I can't stand that I can't do a god damn thing to help her! I hate that I let Hughes die again... that I watched him die and didn't do a thing about it! I don't want to be king; I can't be king! I don't care if I disappear, I just want to go home!"

Alphonse was at a loss for what to do. He had only seen his brother like this less than a handfull of times.

"Don't worry, things will be alright. We'll be back home before you know it," Alphonse said soothingly. "I'm sure the real ones will come back soon and we can leave and solve this problem we have. Elrin's looking for the real Edward and Alfonse as we speak."

"Lord Prince..." Darius said gravely.

"Darius?" Alphonse asked.

"Your presence is requested by the Council. At once," he added sharply, gesturing down the hall.

"Right. Pull yourself together, Edward!" the blond snapped, slapping his face with both hands. "Let's go!"

* * *

"I have been searching for days, but to no avail. I beseech you, I beg of you, please aid my endeavors. They are unfit to rule this country as it is now. They are both capable and exemplary men, but it just is not their duty. Please, help me find the true Prince Edward and Alfonse. Those two have important business to tend to in their own time frame and cannot be bothered with thigns here. Is that not how the reincarnation cycle is intended to function? Past lives and future lives are not supposed to interact, as I am certain you know..." Elrin bowed her head deeply, her long hair creating a honey-brown veil.

"Very well, we shall see what can be done. You have our word as Asa," a woman with absurdly long, glossy black hair replied firmly.

"Thank you, Your Eminence, Grand Creatrix Katal-kyrie," Elrin sighed in relief and bowed again.

She hurried from the ruins, easily climbing over roots and fallen branches and trees, scrambling over rocks and sliding down the large hillside. She had to hurry. If those two remained in this time frame any longer, they would begin to deteriorate. The concept of 'Edward' and the concept of 'Alphonse' would cease to exist and be erased from the Lifestream entirely. She had to find the ones who belonged in this time frame and send the others to their own time frame as soon as possible. She did like them both, very much, but it simply wouldn't work out. She was merely a placeholder. No... _they_ were the placeholders.

"I must hasten. The coronation ceremony will begin shortly. Edward and Alphonse will worry if I am not there. And I believe it is time to begin teaching them about the Hourglass."

* * *

"It is my greatest honor to present to you the thirtieth ruler of Amestria, His Eminence, Lord King Edward!"

Edward felt his lips twitch from smiling for so long. The roar of the crowd was nearly deafening and he couldn't think straight.

_'I don't belong up here...'_ he thought tightly.

The ceremony was over. He was a king now. But it was only here that he was king, and even then it was in name only. He didn't have what it took to be a ruler. He didn't take... King Class 101 or How to Rule a Country for Beginners. He was just a normal man. He didn't belong here, he didn't deserve to sit on this throne (and he didn't like how uncomfortable the thing was either) and he certainly didn't deserve to be called a king.

So... why was he here? He should leave, before things get even more complicated.

And yet, something compelled him to stay.

So... why?

His question, unspoken, was drowned out as some crowd somewhere erupted into enthusiastic cheers. He knew where that crowd was, and why they were cheering, but he didn't care. They all sounded so far away, so distant. It seemed like they were outside some sort of bubble he couldn't break out of. He felt alone, so alone...

He most certainly was _not_ alone, but he definitely felt that way.

And he felt that nothing could be done about it.

The sounds of the crowds grew louder, but he could still hear his brother's soft voice.

"Brother?" Alphonse asked softly.

"Huh?" Edward said, blinking himself back into reality. He looked around him, taking in the scenery. It had changed somehow, without his knowing. When had it changed? He didn't care. He was too melancholic right now to care about much of anything except himself and wallowing in his misery. That was all he wanted to do, wallow in his misery. He just wanted to crawl into that massive bed that wasn't really his, bury himself under the covers, curl up into a little ball and let his feelings eat away at him.

After all, misery loves it company, right? What better companion could he ask for than this seemingly endless pain in his chest?

"Are you alright?"

He paused to think about this.

"I don't know," he replied distantly.

He really didn't know. He also didn't care. But he knew Alphonse would hit him if he told him that.

"I don't know anymore. Nothing seems right anymore. I think... that somewhere in the past, somehow, I lost a part of myself. Part of me is missing and I don't know how I lost it or where it's gone. I'm incomplete."

"Oh..." was all his brother said.

There was a strained silence in the room, thick and suffocating.

"Maybe we should go home. If you're feeling that bad, maybe we should go," Alphonse suggested.

"Why?" he asked listlessly.

The world tilted around him. He felt himself falling. He closed his eyes and sighed wearily as he hit the mattress of the bed, his automail arm covering his eyes.

Alone.

He felt so alone.

"Why? Because... you have people who are waiting for you to come back. And you know damn well that one might not be there," Alphonse said sharply. "I have people waiting for me too. You're not the only one who feels horrible, you know."

"I'm sorry, Al, but I want to be alone for a while."

Edward heard Alphonse start to speak. He then heard footsteps.

"You should not be alone now," a female voice commentedd.

"Why not?" he asled nonchalantly.

"You are apt to do something foolish," Elrin replied.

"You mean something like suicide?"

"Something like that."

"I'm fine. This happened to me before. I know how to deal with it."

"That is what everyone else says," she said snidely.

"Well, I'm not everyone else, alright?" he snapped viciously.

"Then you are a fool," she sighed.

"Look, I don't like how you just barged into my life! Believe it or not, I was the one kid who didn't believe they could grow up to rule the country. I had more important things on my mind. This isn't something I wanted. I don't know anything about ruling a country and I don't care about ruling one either!" he roared, sitting up and glaring fiercely at the cat-spirit. "I don't care about your agenda and what you want me to do. I'm my own person and I have a life that I would like to live out according to the choices I make, not what others choose for me! I'm sick and tired of being jerked around!"

"Is that how you feel?" she asked coolly, returning his gaze with equal ferocity.

"Aren't you listening?"

"I am, but now it is your turn to listen to me," she grinned.

The intense anger boiling inside him, pulsing through his veins, dissipated. He regretted his outburst. She was only trying to help him, he knew that. He was just too blinded by his pain to see that.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I understand," she smiled kindly.

"I'm a jerk, aren't I?" he asked, burying his face in a pillow.

"You are not a jerk. Dying, but not a jerk."

"What did you say?" he asked, sitting up and glaring at her.

"You are dying, Edward. You do not see it nor feel it, but your body is not designed to live in this time frame. You are starting to slowly decompose and soon you will cease to exist. This is also affecting you, Alphonse," Elrin replied grimly.

"I'm... dying?" Edward repeated. He barely noticed Alphonse come into the room and sit next to him. "Why...? Why am I dying? How?"

"I cannot tell you. Not now. When the time is right, I will let you know. However, you two need to leave this time frame as soon as possible."

"Can we go to the time frame we needed to go to? To fix the problem that arose in our present?" Alphonse asked eagerly. "Then... back home?"

She nodded once, very slowly.

"I need to teach you how to use the Hourglass. You must go forward in time before you begin to deteriorate physically. Please, your lives in in grave danger. Your immortal souls will cease to exist in this or any time frame. You will no longer exist, in this or any form. You will be completely deleted from the entirety of life itself," Elrin said in low tones.

The brothers exchanged glances.

* * *

_**Area 51 1/2 **__5-22-11: super busy with graduation projects and whatnot. I choked when I gave my practice speech, but hopefully I'll do better on the 17th, when I present for real. I still need to make a poster-board for the showcase, though. That ought to be fun. Of course, I've got a whole other course of Apex to finish now that I'm finally done with history._

_I was thinking of starting a new story where Ed and Al interact through letters. I wrote the prologue (where Ed gets the letter that starts the letter-writing between him and Al) and Ed's first letter to Al describing his situation, but was kinda thinking that it'd be cool if it was co-written with someone else._

_So if you're interested in working with me on a fanfic, PM me a sample of first-person writing written from Al's POV. The best submission will be hired (by which I mean approved; I can't pay anyone for writing this stuff) to write the letters from Alphonse._

_Review please! I've had a serious deficiency of reviews in the past few months._

_I promise I'll try to wrap up this book soon and work on another story. Honestly, I'm getting kinda sick of Godsend... so this book might be shorter than the last one, but I'm gonna try to make it longer than the first. Sixty chapters, maybe._

_So... prom was last night. I wore a black and white floor-length dress with a clip I made out of a black rose and small white flowers and fancy eye make-up. I also wore my precious Doc Martens, which my mom took to the cobblers just to make them pretty for prom. I've got some pics of me on my Facebook and they should be on my DA soon. I danced so hard, my legs still hurt. I didn't go to bed until, like, two in the morning today. And apparently I looked really pretty, so says a guy at my school. I didn't dance with anyone, but I did have a lot of fun with my friends. One of them wore a blue wig to match her dress. That was weird... I had a lot of fun, and up next is Grad Nite at Disneyland! Then graduation... and summer break... and college and moving out and never seeing my current friends for months or years on end... oh my god! I may never see my best friends ever again! Such is the fate of one who must inevitably grow up._

_Come visit me on Gaia Online. Please. I'll post the link on my profile._

_Sorry this one took so long. Writer's block and end-of-the-year craziness. Summer ought to be chock full of updates... ought to be. Doesn't mean there will be, I've got to see half a million colleges in Arizona first. And get a job. Maybe upgrade my cell phone. Probably save up enough dough to buy Photoshop. Stuff like that. Updates will come when they come._

_I made up what number king Ed became because I don't know the real number._


	23. Cowardice

_23: Cowardice_

"Dawn, wake up. Get dressed and meet me in the living room as soon as possible."

"Mommy? What's wrong?" Dawn propped herself up on her elbow and rubbed at her eyes sleepily. It was dark, but she could make out the faint edges of the sunrise out the window.

"I can't explain now. Just get dressed, quickly. Your aunt will see to your breakfast," Christin mumbled softly.

"Kay..." she yawned, dragging herself out of bed. She rifled through a dresser drawer and pulled out her favorite dress. It was black and had orange flowers on it. Apparently, it had been her mother's when she was a little girl and had been tailored to fit Dawn.

"Aislinn, this is the only way I can deal with it. I promise, I'll keep in touch with you. I... I'll call you, write to you, something to let you know we're alive. I just... I can't let this happen to me again. It's like I'm nineteen all over again. I'm just as stupid and I'm just as powerless. I have to go," her mother said briskly.

"You're just avoiding the problem!" Aislinn sighed. "No matter how far away you run, you know that he'll be waiting for you to come crawling back. You're being foolish."

"Then I'll revel in my foolishness," Christin replied tartly.

"Chris..."

"He threatened to do the same to Dawn," she snapped. "I can't let her become like me. I won't let her be as weak as me, Aislinn."

"But what about work? You've got a job to do, you know."

"Yes, but that job is wrecking my life. I'm supposed to be gathering information on his whereabouts and motives, but instead I'm becoming his sex slave. I know that... this is one thing I have to settle myself, but I just can't. I need to get away for a while. There's something wrong inside me and I need to fix it before I can do anything else."

"What about the boys?"

"I'm taking them to Winry's. That's far out enough in the countryside that they should be safe. I'd suggest you go as well, but I don't know what good it'll do. Besides, Toby can take care of himself, considering all he's been through. He can help take care of Ethan and Dusk," Christin replied sourly.

"Is there nothing I can say or do to make you stay? You're my sister, Rin, my precious little twin sister. Without you, it's like there's some vital part of me missing. I can't stand this separation by myself," Aislinn insisted. "I need someone who is experiencing this the same way I am close by so I don't go insane."

"Go to Roy's place. He knows how you feel with me gone all the time. We're not lovers or anything, but we're just as close."

Dawn flinched as something shattered.

"Could you be any more stupid?" Aislinn shrieked. "If you're going to run away, why don't you just kill yourself like you've tried to do oh-so-often? You're dying anyway, why the hell not?"

"You don't understand... Aislinn, something is wrong with me. Something is seriously wrong with me, and I'm not talking about that fucking disease. Unless you want to end up dead or halfway there, you'll stop trying to stop me."

"Do you think you're the only one who's suffering, the only one in pain? I have feelings too, you know, just like you!"

"No, I don't... I can't feel anymore. That man poisoned me; I told you that, Aislinn. I'm already dying... but I want it to be at my disposal. I'm sick of jumping through all sorts of hoops just to stay alive when it would be so much easier to die... all to keep my promise. That promise is one I don't want broken, ever. But you don't understand, so I don't see any point in arguing this further," Christin said distantly.

"Mommy, you're bleeding," Dawn stated as her mother left the room.

"I'm fine. It's just a scratch," she replied with false brightness. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes..." she answered warily, "Where are we going?"

"Creta, in the west. It's far enough away... Dawn, listen to me. The world is a very dangerous place. I'd really rather not shelter you from all that, but I don't want you to be as weak as I am. When I was younger, way before you were born, I got into lots and lots of trouble. I didn't know how to stop it and things got really out of control. I became a burden for so many people and only recently began taking responsibilities for my actions. Your uncle went missing because of me, and your father nearly died. Your aunt almost died too. There was much death, so many deaths... all because of me. I want you to be able to take care of yourself and fix any mistakes you make without having to rely on other people for every single microscopic thing. For the longest time... I couldn't even smile without someone's help. I don't want you to be like me."

"Am I in danger?" Dawn asked softly.

"You heard?"

"You weren't being very quiet about it," she pouted. "It's about James, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"I don't like him. He scares me. Tobias said he was a very bad man. He makes you cry, so I don't like him."

"Let's go; the train leaves soon," Christin said briskly.

"Are you really that selfish?" Aislinn demanded snidely as her twin strode towards the door. "Are you so blinded by self pity that you can't see that others are suffering just as much, if not more?"

"I'll be in touch."

Aislinn punched the wall. "I don't get it at all! Why are you doing this? Why?"

"Because it's all I can do."

* * *

"Well, this is a surprise. What did you do know?" Winry sighed.

"Why do you always assume I'm the one who's done something?" Christin grimaced.

"I highly doubt they're capable of anything you've done," the blond gestured at Tobias, Dawn and Dusk.

"...aren't they? They are borne from my flesh and blood, are they not?" Christin asked distantly.

"You better come inside. I can tell this is going to take a while," Winry opened the door to let the others inside. "And it must be something big if he's walking around like that," she glanced pointedly at Tobias, who was using his teenage form (because his mother said it would be better than if he looked like a child). He laughed nervously in response.

"Who's here? Is it a customer or..." a young boy with bouncy black hair asked as he bounced into the room. "Oh my goodness... it's... it's... it can't be... here, in your house... you know..."

"Say one more word and I'll rip your voice box out with that awl you're holding," Christin threatened. "I'm nothing like what you've heard."

"So... you're not a fairy?" he asked disappointedly.

"Perhaps once I was... now I'm merely a human, if it can be called that," she replied sourly.

"Oh..." he mumbled.

"You're young. There's a dark, dismal place lying just outside the twinkling of your eye. The world is nothing like you want it to be, and I won't mislead you by claiming otherwise. Life gives you shit and you learn how to deal with it," she muttered under her breath.

"M-my name's Jason. My brother talks about you quite a bit," the boy replied awkwardly. "That's why I... I'm sorry; he did say you didn't like talking about your past. I'm afraid I don't learn very well..."

"Jason... why do I know that name?" Christin mumbled thoughtfully to herself. "You look kinda familiar, too..."

"We're cousins. I should look familiar. At least, I think that's what you call it..." Jason replied. "I mean, I'm his half brother, and you're his daughter by contract... I think we're cousins..."

"Still drawing a blank," she sighed.

"Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist," he said, making his voice deep.

"You're Jason?" she shrieked. "I kept picturing some overgrown dork with thick-rimmed glasses and a speech impediment."

"Why?"

"Well, he often grumbled about how he had to keep bailing you out of trouble, but that you were really smart and stuff. I think he mentioned one time that you blew up a chemistry lab at a high school you were attending and he had to clean up that mess."

"That was an accident," Jason replied hotly.

"That's what he said you said. Listen, since you're here can I ask a favor of you?" Christin asked softly.

"Sure, what is it?" Jason replied.

"I really hate to do this, but there's something I need to take care of. Would you mind taking care of my boys for a while?"

"Not at all. Can I ask what you're doing?" he replied sweetly.

"Let me see..." she paused thoughtfully. "That's classified."

"Hey, where's Ed?" Winry asked. "Are you two having problems?"

"No, not really. This is something only I can do, that's all. But since you've brought it up, I've a favor to ask of you as well, Winry," Christin replied.

"What's that?" the blond inquired.

"Mom, we're going to play outside!" Dusk announced.

"That's fine!"

"Would you like some coffee or tea or something?" Jason asked. "I'm parched."

"Tea, thank you," the women both replied.

"Winry... this is something only you can do. Nobody else but you."

"Christin, you're starting to worry me."

"Winry... when I die, I want you to promise me that you'll take care of Ed."

"You can't be serious!" the mechanic cried incredulously. "I won't make a promise like that!"

"Why the hell not? I know that you still love him, Winry. Most people would kill for the chance to be with the one they love, even if they're with someone else. I'm giving you that chance _willingly_. How many people would do that?" Christin retorted.

"...not many," Winry answered. "I just... I don't want to think about that. Like it or not, everyone will die. You can say that all you want, but there's no way I'm going to make a promise like that. I know the past is unpleasant, but that's no excuse to throw everything aside and run away."

"What else can a coward do?"

"What?"

"I know I'm running away. Aislinn yelled at me about the same thing. But if you think about it, I'm giving you a really great opportunity. Marcus died and now you're by yourself. One day I'm going to die and Ed will be by himself. Besides, if I hadn't shown up you two would've probably gotten together anyway. I'm only correcting my mistake. You can say anything you want; I know I don't belong here. I've screwed up nearly everything. this may be the one last thing I can do that is _right_."

**_Area 51 1/2 _**_6-3-11: I am not officially done with high school! I graduated last night. I've been crying most of today, though, and I'm not done yet. And I miss the guy I love... a lot. It sucks that I can't see him anymore (for at least a few months) because of my move._

_I'm getting really sick of Godsend._

_Short Area this time, I'm really tired. I was up all night at Sober Grad and spent most of today traveling. The plane I was on this afternoon went through some major turbulence and I was lifted out of my seat a little bit. I thought it was gonna be like some extreme version of Tower of Terror. I screamed a bit, a really weird scream._

_Until next time..._


End file.
